When it comes to creating content, you need to know your audience. Too often, people create content without knowing who they are creating for. This is a huge mistake. When you know your audience, you can tailor your message to their needs and wants. In this blog post, we will discuss Audience Statements and how they can help you figure out who your audience is. We will also discuss things to keep in mind when creating content for your target market!
What are Audience Statements and why are they important
If you’ve been a content creator for any length of time, you’ve probably heard of audience avatars. These are fictional representations of your ideal customer or client. They help you to understand who you are creating content for and what their needs and wants are.
While audience avatars can be helpful, they are not always necessary. In fact, they can actually be quite limiting. You’re not Alice the 37-year-old podcaster that has 3 kids and a dog. You are you, and you are unique. While I think you are really cool for being so unique sometimes it’s really hard to create good consistent content when we are so limited. Let’s focus on something else today: Audience Statements.
This is where audience statements come in.
An audience statement is a short, one to two-sentence description of your ideal reader, the shorter the better. Audience statements are unique in that they are not limiting, and that they usually do not apply to anyone else. They help you to understand who your ideal reader is without pigeon-holing them into a specific persona.
Why are audience statements important? Because they help you to understand who you are creating for. When you know who your ideal reader is, you can tailor your message to their needs and wants. It also helps you to decide if that latest idea that you’ve been wanting to write about is actually something that your target market would be interested in.
Limit Your Audience
I know for a lot of people it sounds counterintuitive to limit your audience. After all, shouldn’t you be trying to reach as many people as possible? The answer is no, at least not when it comes to content creation. When you try to create for everyone, you end up creating for no one. It’s much better to laser focus your message and write for a specific group of people.
Which is easier? Popping a balloon with your closed fist or using a needle? The answer is obvious, using a needle. The same principle applies to content creation. It’s much easier to create for a specific group of people than it is to create for everyone. When you know your audience, you can focus your message and make a bigger impact.
How can you create an Audience Statement to make better Content?
An audience statement is all about that sweet spot of being too specific and too broad. It keeps you from going off the rails when you’re creating your content. I’ve already explained how I don’t like using audience avatars because they pigeonhole people into a specific persona. The goal is to find something that represents your ideal reader without putting them into a box.
So let’s start broad…
What problem is your content solving? If you are teaching people how to knit, then your audience statement might be something like “People who want to learn how to knit.” That’s pretty broad, but it’s a start.
Now we get more specific…
Why do they want to learn how to knit? Is it because they want to make a scarf for themselves? A blanket for a loved one? Or are they just looking for a new hobby?
So right now we could have the Audience statement:
My content is for people who want to learn how to knit because they are looking for a new hobby
That is closer but let’s add one more layer of specificity.
Who are these people?
Are they men or women? What is their age range? Do they live in a specific place?
Pick one of those topics
Now we have our final audience statement:
My content is for Men who want to learn how to knit because they are looking to learn a new hobby.
All of a sudden you have a much clearer idea of who you are writing for. And when you know who you are writing for it becomes so much easier to write good content that resonates with your audience. Content for this will be very different than a show that is for Grandmas who just had their first grandchild and want to learn how to knit to make a baby blanket.
Examples of effective Audience Statements
- My content is for busy single moms who want to learn how to cook quick and healthy meals for their families.
- My content is for Retirees who are looking to start their own business and need help with the financial aspects.
- My content is for High School students who like to play video games and are interested in learning about game design.
As you can see, each one of these audience statements is very specific. And that’s the key to creating an effective audience statement. The more specific you can be, the better. But don’t get so bogged down in the details that you forget that your audience is made up of real people. At the end of the day, you are writing for people who want something and need help. Keep that in mind and you’ll be well on your way to creating content that connects with your audience.
Now it’s your turn…
My content is for ____________ (Plural Noun) who like ___________ (Activity/object/etc) and want to ____________ (Problem / Solution)
Wrap up
Now that you know how to create an audience statement, it’s time to put it into practice. The next time you sit down to create a piece of content, take a few minutes to think about who you are creating for. And if you already have an audience in mind, take a step back and make sure that your statement is specific enough to include them, if not, get more specific. The better you know your audience, the easier it will be to connect with them through your content.
Remember, the more specific you can be, the better. But don’t get so bogged down in the details that you forget that your audience is made up of real people who want something and need help. Keep that in mind and you’ll be well on your way to creating content that connects with your audience.