Here’s answer #2 of 12 Questions I think are important for commercial writers to know. I think these questions are especially important for people newly striking out on their own. This is a short answer. But don’t be fooled. Targeting and tracking your audience is a lot of work. As a freelancer you are in a position to choose. You may do different kinds of writing to make ends meet. Notice the topics that present more attraction for you than others. Start there.

• Determine what writing genre interests you, what subjects, and what is the niche you want to fill in that area.
• Research topics in your area of interest. Read through the popular keywords to know what has people’s attention. Review the information to determine if there’s an audience.
• Describe your target audience: individual, company, family or business, end-user or publication.
• Keeping on top of trends is a matter of reading, reviewing and searching topics. Follow tangents to know what is related and may potentially become a focal point.

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