avatarFaith Ann

Summarize

How to Adapt to Your Audience’s Needs During Chaos

As a writer, you have to be willing to adapt.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I’ve heard from a lot of writers that March has been their hardest month yet. Stats, interactions, and earnings have taken a hit. This isn’t just from Medium — writers, in general, are hurting.

I’ve also seen various advice responding to the rightful woes of writers. Some encourage writers to diversify their writing streams. Others say the key is not to give in to pressure and stay true to your brand (i.e., if you write about sharks, keep writing about sharks).

Luckily, my March experience is far from my fellow writers. March has been my best month yet. I’ve made the most money, had the most interaction, and beat records for reads in a day.

The kicker is that I only wrote ten stories this month versus my average of thirty.

I’m one of the fortunate ones. It stems from my ability to adapt to chaos.

March has been plagued by COVID-19, market crashes, social-distancing, and global anxiety. People want to read articles and stories that either address their concerns or allow them to escape from their worries.

As unfortunate as it is, people’s interests have shrunken during this month. We don’t have the mental brainpower to keep up our same reading trends.

I am no different. Each day, I’ve devoted more of my reading time to reading articles about COVID-19 and health. This is rarely the case any other month.

Right now, I’m far more interested in clicking on someone’s quarantine experience in Spain than travel tips for Spain. If you’re writing a travel tips article, this may not be the best time to publish it if you’re trying to maximize views.

Consistency is great but not for inconsistent times

There’s something to be said about being the writer that writes about a particular niche. If you only write about cooking, you can build a base around this topic and consistently provide your readers with what they expect. Normally, this method will build you a large fan base and result in success.

Right now, the world is upside down. The consistency formula will work 90% of the time, but currently, we’re living through the rare 10%.

If everyone is interested in reading about COVID-19 related articles, tweak your normal topic to meet your audience’s needs.

If you usually write about cooking, this topic (and any topic) is conducive to adaption. Write about how to make cooking supplies last to promote fewer shopping trips. If the meat selection is smaller than normal in your area, write a recipe for red bean burgers.

Any topic can adapt to the times if you’re creative enough with it.

I typically write about social justice issues, so I wrote a piece called “6 Tips from A Prepper Family.” I was able to insert information about food insecurity, a topic I often write about, into an article focused on COVID-19.

To date, this is my most successful piece. People wanted to read an article to help make sense of the food shortages, but I stayed true to my brand by bringing food insecurity into the narrative.

Being stubborn and refusing to adapt to the reader’s needs doesn’t help anyone. You’ll write amazing pieces, but people won’t have the energy or time to read them. Instead, tweak your ideas to respond to the times, increasing your outreach and earnings.

Writing about current topics doesn’t make you a sell-out

Writers can be an ego-driven bunch, which isn’t a bad thing. In any profession where ego plays a significant role, adaption can seem like selling out.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of: “I’m not going to be one of those writers who write about COVID-19. I write about LGBTQ issues. I’m not going to sell out like everyone else just to write about what’s popular.” It’s easy to feel like writing about what’s popular is sheepish.

The truth is that the audience who normally reads your LGBTQ pieces is currently confused and worried about global events. James Finn, one of my favorite authors who focuses on LGBTQ issues, among others, is a perfect example.

He’s written several LGBTQ focused COVID-19 pieces, including a recent one titled, “Pastor to the Powerful: Scapegoating Refugees and LGBTQ People.” He’s staying true to his brand, interests, and expertise while adapting to the current chaos and concerns.

If you think writing about trending topics is beneath you, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities. The whole world is concerned about a very few things right now. Our readers want to read stories about these global events.

If you’re not addressing your writer’s needs, they’re going to turn to writers who will.

Keep an eye on trending topics and news cycles

The easiest way to address the reader’s concerns is to do your research. Right now, the four out of the top five stories on Medium are related to COVID-19.

Humor and satire pieces are doing well. Relationship and sex articles are also doing well because everyone is stuck at home with their significant other.

Pay attention to what stories are gaining traction on popular forums. Which stories are going viral? In moments like these, the list of popular or viral topics is small.

Usually, the list of popular topics is pretty diverse, so your story is just as likely as the next to make it big. But right now, people’s interests are diluted down. It’s essential to adapt.

March was an extreme example of needing to adapt to your reader’s needs and interests, but this is always the case. There are always trending topics or world events that captivate a broad audience.

Keeping an eye on popular stories and news cycles help writers know what to adapt to.

Final words

If your stats are low in the wake of global panic and anxiety, try to adapt to the reader’s interests. Right now, the world is focused on COVID-19, the economy, mental health, and escapism.

If you normally shy away from satire pieces, now might be the time to try it out because people want a good laugh. If you write about sex, write an article about how to keep sex spicy during the quarantine. If you write about history, write a piece paralleling the 1929 stock market crash.

The best writers are malleable writers who are willing to adapt to the times and their writer’s interests.

You can still write about your regular topics but maybe hold off to publish during more calm times. We’re living through interesting times. Don’t give your readers a reason to turn away from your work.

Thanks for reading! Please consider supporting my writing by signing up for my email list and following me here on twitter.

Writing Tips
Writing
Covid-19
Advice
Creativity
Recommended from ReadMedium