Who do you create for?

Identify your target audience

It’s time we have another chat. Grab a seat, pour a cup of coffee, and get settled in with your notebook.

Have you though about your audience recently?

As business owners or content creators, we need to consider who we are creating for in order to properly serve our audience. This is true in any business endeavor, whether you provide a product, service, or are a blogger creating content for readers. When you become a content creator, the show isn’t about you anymore. The focus shifts to the people you create for. If you want to maintain (and grow!) your audience, you absolutely must create valuable content.

Before you create something you plan to share with the world, you should ask yourself one thing: Who are you sharing with? What void do you fill?

Solve a problem, fulfill a need, or inspire

If you narrow down to the exact need you fulfill, identifying your audience is simple. What does your audience need? Do they have a problem that you can solve? Can you teach them something new? Maybe you offer inspiration they haven’t found anywhere else.

While I love to write, I write about what I think my audience will love. Although I love to be creative, I steer my creativity to cater to my audience as well. My audience is the focus of all my efforts.

When I clearly defined who my own audience was, content came easily. When I write each blog post, I know exactly who I am speaking to: you! You want to know how to define your own target audience. I solve this problem for you.

So, who do you serve?

Having a general idea of your target audience isn’t enough. It’s time to get specific. I can’t tell you what the specifics are, but I can prompt you with a few questions.

Who are the people you want to work with?
What are their values?
What do they dislike? What do they absolutely love?
Who do they admire?
Where do they work? Go to school?
What are their goals? Short and long-term?
Why do they need you?

I find it beneficial to put pen to paper to write a complete description of my target audience. Clearly define your biggest fan or most loyal customer. As your audience grows, you will be able to refer back to these basics to remind yourself of who you create for. Of course, it’s okay to refine your target as you grow, but it’s good to have a reference as needed.

Content differs between platforms

Even though your audience is probably generally the same across all channels, there are slight differences. Content created for Instagram wouldn’t fare well as an email marketing campaign. Twitter isn’t Facebook. Vlogging is different from more traditional blogging. All channels work well together, but the best digital marketers know that content should target the audience and the platform.

That means you shouldn’t auto-post every Tweet to Facebook. However, you don’t need to triple your content creation just to keep up. You can repurpose content. Just make sure that you repurpose it to suit the platform it will appear on!

For example, when I write a blog post, I typically shoot multiple photos for each post. I will use one photo to promote my blog post on my Instagram as soon as it is published. I will use other similar ones a few weeks later to remind my audience to catch up on their reading. As for the text, many of my Instagram posts turn into complete blog posts. Or vice versa: I write a blog and use a snippet as the corresponding Instagram caption. What differs in this care is the presentation. The medium. The message remains the same.

I could then take my blog series to turn it into an email marketing freebie or an in-person workshop one day. The same ideas translate across my entire platform, but slight changes make content suitable for each channel.

Who do you create for?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Your goals and your message. Share with me in the comments below!

Still stuck? Maybe one of these resources will help you! Or learn more about my drop-in Brand Strategy Sessions.