Before we start, let me ask you a question. As a content writer, do you know who you are writing for?
Well, I hope you’ll get your answer at the end of this blog. However, as a content writer, it’s way more important that you should know how to research your target audience. What are they going through and what do they like or dislike? Only this can help create helpful content by nailing their pain points.
And in this article, I’ll show you how I personally research my target audience for content writing. Besides, I’ll also cover some of the proven methods followed by some great creators.
What is the target audience?
Simply put, the target audience refers to the people who are likely to purchase your products or services. But in the case of content writers, we play the role of a medium to attract the audience through our content (blogs, landing pages, social media posts, email, etc.).
The target audience can vary depending on the products or services you promote. For example, if you’re writing a blog post about the best dog foods, your audience will be those who pet dogs.
Where to find your target audience?
Your target audience is available on different platforms or mediums. However, it depends on who you want to target. Google search, social media, online forums, and emails are the mediums where you’ll find the audience.
If you’re writing blogs, you need to optimize the content with keywords for SEO. On the other hand, social media and forum content doesn’t need to be SEO optimized but helpful and compelling enough. All you need to do is to follow the trends. However, email writing requires a touch of creativity that can convert your audience into customers.
Target Audience Examples
Here’s the target audience example of different industries.
- Healthcare Industry: This includes patients, providers, and organizations.
- Technology Industry: Technology enthusiasts, businesses, and consumers looking for new products and services.
- Finance Industry: Investors, financial institutions, and individuals looking for financial advice and products.
- Retail Industry: Consumers looking for products and services and businesses looking for wholesale products and services.
- Education Industry: Students, educators, and institutions looking for learning resources and services.
Researching Your Target Audience For Content Writing
So finally, we’re here to see how you can target our audience in content. The points given below are well-researched. However, I can’t assure you that all of them will work effectively for you. Some may give you the best result, while others may not.
1. Identifying the audience
If you don’t know who’s your audience, writing a piece of content will be totally vague. Besides, writing something by imagining a specific person becomes more compelling and can bring you quick results.
If you are a freelancer, the client may tell you who are the target audience. Otherwise, use your creativity to find them. Different industries have different audiences. All you need to do is little research.
2. Closer look at survey reports
Surveys are a kind of savior to your time. Many survey reports are available on the internet; just find those similar to the topic you’re working on. These reports can help you understand how your audience behaves, what they think of your business (client’s business) and what they need or want.
Well, that’s undoubtedly a million-dollar resource if one can utilize it properly.
3. Watch the competitors
Competitors are not your enemy! In online business, competitors can be utilized as friendly supporters. Do you know why? Because they help you a lot to understand what they do and how they do to get ahead of you. You just need to follow their path and make your content better.
Visit competitors’ websites and social media pages to observe their content strategies. And also, don’t forget to see their customers’ and followers’ reactions to their products and services. This will allow you to see their superiority and also the lacking points.
4. Observe customer reviews
Believe it or not, people’s reactions to products and services are most of the time unbiased. If you’re writing content for any product-related business, make sure to follow what people say on Amazon and other e-commerce platforms.
On the other hand, for services, you can rely on Youtube reviews and social media directions of the target audience. This can make you clear about the target audiences’ demands and their likes & dislikes.
5. Investigate social media trends
The trend is what can boost business if you implement it properly in your content writing. People love to follow trends because of their tendency to remain always updated. And if you can use trending terms, contexts and viral incidents in your content, that can greatly impact the target audience.
Therefore, keep a closer eye on social media trends, competitor accounts, and trends on Twitter and other platforms.
6. Testify your content
Last but not least, before publishing the content, don’t forget to get feedback from those who work with you. Their reactions can help you a lot to understand if the content will work successfully or not. And if the content requires some necessary changes, fix them carefully.
As a freelance content writer, I’d always recommend asking the marketer or anyone from the clients to give feedback on my content. Because as a content writer, your first priority is always to satisfy the audience.
Conclusion
So, I hope you got the answer to the question I asked at the beginning. This is how you can research the target audience for content writing. Whether you are a freelance writer or a full-time employee working for a marketing agency or any other industry, these six tips will help you.
FAQ
Audience research is important for content writing because it helps writers understand their target audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points. By conducting research, writers can create content that resonates with the audience, drives engagement, and achieves desired outcomes such as conversions and increased brand awareness. Understanding your audience is crucial for creating content that truly resonates with them and drives desired outcomes.
Without a target audience, creating content and marketing efforts becomes difficult., It becomes challenging to tailor your message and approach to drive desired outcomes, such as increased brand awareness and conversions. Besides, there is a risk of creating content that is not relevant or effective, leading to a lack of engagement and missed opportunities.
Connecting with the target audience is essential for businesses. You can use social media, online surveys, open forums, live webinars & conferences and other mediums to communicate with the audience.
You can regularly update your understanding of your target audience by conducting surveys, analyzing customer data, and monitoring social media conversations. This will help you stay up-to-date on their needs and preferences and make adjustments to your content and marketing efforts accordingly.