Who Are You Writing For? Aligning Your Positioning to Succeed
Uncover the key to building a purposeful business by aligning who you are with who you’re writing for—positioning is everything.
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Who are you and who are you writing for?
It’s a simple question.
Can you answer it?
Is it easy for you, or do you struggle with it?
And more importantly, is there a match between who you are and who your customer is?
When I first started writing, I wrote about topics I was interested in and had knowledge of. It seemed simple, but it wasn’t the best approach when building a business.
It didn’t take long before I decided to invest in a course to build a real online business around my blog.
That’s when I learned a simple truth: It’s not just about what you write; it’s also about who you’re writing for—and who you are as a writer.
In short, it’s about your positioning in relation to your ideal customer avatar, as well as your positioning in the market.
Success Depends on the Perfect Match: Positioning Yourself to Attract the Right Customer
When you learn about blogging or building an online business, the first thing you're taught is to identify your niche.
You choose a topic, write about it, and develop a product to sell.
But here’s the truth: It won’t work without a real connection between these elements.
One of the key pieces is your positioning.
In my German online business, I talk about personal finance, budgeting, saving, and investing as a woman who learned all this from scratch, without a financial background or higher education. I have an irregular income, so I’m speaking directly to women who struggle with money and need simple, actionable advice.
In this way, I offer products that match my ideal customer’s needs—courses to help them organize their finances, start saving, and begin investing.
My avatar typically has a mid-range income, so my pricing reflects that.
If I charge too much, they won’t buy.
This isn’t just about my positioning in relation to my customers or in the market.
It doesn’t mean that I offer less value—don’t confuse the two.
It’s about the type of customer I attract based on my positioning.
The goal is to position yourself as a writer or creator in a way that attracts the right customer—your ideal subscriber.
Let’s look at another example:
My friend
from The Lemontree Mindset has published four books and built a best-selling Substack publication, generating $15k in annual revenue, with plans to double that. Everything she creates is for writers and creators who want to achieve the same success. Veronica is successful at what she does, and her offerings are perfectly aligned with her customer avatar.Her pricing reflects the value she offers, whether it’s a monthly subscription or a founding member price that includes 1:1 coaching.
That’s her positioning in relation to her customers as well as in the market—specifically on Substack.
If I tried to teach others how to build a best-selling Substack publication, I would fail, simply because I haven’t done it yet (though it’s my goal), even though it’s a popular topic on Substack.
Likewise, Veronica would struggle if she tried to teach how to get tens of thousands of paid subscribers—although I’m sure she’ll reach that milestone soon 🙂.
Do you see the connection?
It’s crucial to consider not only who your audience is but also who you are.
You have to position yourself as a match to your avatar.
Your True Positioning: Why Self-Reflection and Intentional Strategy Are Key to Building a Purposeful Business
To figure out your positioning, it’s not just about thinking about who your audience is. Instead, it's time to reflect on who you are.
It’s also about defining your business’s personality. This is where you set your price and establish your branding.
A quick side note: If you don’t have a product yet or aren’t earning on Substack yet, you can start by thinking about the price range for your potential first product. For Substack, you can determine the prices for pledges as well.
Figuring out your positioning today is based on where you are right now in your business.
Over time, as you grow, you’ll need to review and adjust your positioning.
For example, Veronica started with lower pricing than she has now, but her positioning has evolved over time.
You will have a positioning, whether it's intentional or not.
If you want to build a business with purpose, take some time to intentionally define your positioning—it’s worth it!
I love how you mention the importance of personal experience. You can never lead your clients further than you have ever been to yourself. Thanks for the great post.