When attending to a message, whether content online, a book or a film, the first thing that the message receiver does is to assess the position advocated by the message. Is this important to my wellbeing or not? Does this message agree with what I believe in or does it propose something I entirely disagree with? To persuade, your message should lean toward agreeing to what your readers believe in and yet it must create at least some dissonance to arouse your readers’ curiosity. Content that completely agrees or that completely disagrees with what your audience believes in is likely to be disregarded. In the first case, because it does not bring anything new. In the second, because it is perceived as a threat to your audience’s concept of wellbeing.

In other words, the content copy must be relevant and favorable to your audience’s concept of self. If your audience lives in Orange County, you should write content about Orange County. For instance, Drive traffic Media has offices in Santa Monica and Irvine, and while the services we provide to our clients in Los Angeles and Orange County are basically the same, our audiences are not. Don’t ever confuse Newport Beach with Venice. Both cities face the ocean, both are in Southern California, both are expensive, but for Pete’s sake—they are not the same!

To know what your customer wants and care about you can do some market research, then develop a Buyer Persona, and a brand strategy. However, you can tailor your message only to so many people.