It’s great to hear that you’ve succeeded.
I thought the article was inspirational. But I trusted that if something wasn’t right, my beta readers would let me know.
Thankfully, two quick emails confirmed I’d hit my target.
“That’s a great article!” the first said. “Really good!”
The next day, another agreed. “You’re right,” he said. “It is a great story. It made me feel good.”
Why did the story succeed? First, there’s what it avoided. The writer didn’t try to manipulate readers with emotionally loaded language. There was no preaching, no exhortation, no directives.
Nor was there self-congratulation. Simply and directly, it conveyed an episode in which the writer — a member of the target audience — had done the right thing for the right reasons. Readers could easily put themselves in the writer’s place and see the potential for their own application.
There are no deep secrets to connect with readers. Be yourself, look your readers in the eye, and show the specifics of what you experienced.
If you have a solid story, it’s not hard to connect.
