Audience Targeting Tips for Content Marketing
Content marketing is a crucial part of business today. Without it, getting your name out there can be a challenge. With the right marketing strategy, you can pull in your audience and ramp up your revenue. However, this only works if your message reaches its intended target.
When gearing up your content marketing campaign, you want to be sure that you are getting the most out of what you are putting out there. Here are 11 ways to reach your target audience and build your online presence.
1. Know Your Audience
The first step is making sure you know your audience and what they are looking for. Who are you writing for? Parents, video game junkies, tech enthusiasts, financial advisors, or just your average consumer? As you form a campaign, you should know the language, style, and subject matter that your intended audience is looking for. Consider the age range, background, class, and various other demographic information. Once you have an idea, it’ll be easier to reach out.
2. Establish a Rapport
Knowing your audience is important but trying to force a connection can be very alienating. Don’t try to fake it; think of the sitcom dad trying to be cool with his kids. You want to establish a connection, not make them cringe. Just throwing in a few familiar terms and covering hot topics isn’t enough to establish a core audience. Immerse yourself in the content first and find a way to connect with your reader. Make it natural, or you may miss the mark completely.
3. Keep Things Simple and Streamline
When it comes to holding your audience’s attention, you should keep things simple. Content should be sharp, focused and accessible. Each piece of content should have a specific target, goal, and subject. There should never be one article to rule them all. People are often on the prowl for something very specific – and they want what they are searching for. Guides, Q&A, and general advice are always needed. As you build your content strategy, keep in mind what your readers want and need.
4. What is my audience searching for?
Before you can ask what your audience is searching for, you need to find out what they want. While it may seem confusing, stay with us; there are ways to find out what people are searching for. Tap into some SEO marketing — analytics, keyword research, browsing message boards — do some research to find out what they want. Without a little searching, you may be taking a shot in the dark trying to guess what your target audience is looking for.
5. Know Your Content
Content is complicated and it’s easy to tell if you don’t know what you’re talking about. You want to keep quality up with anything you put out. With content marketing, you want your readers and customers to know that your company is the go-to source. A reliable source will keep people coming back, so research, research, research! Prove you know your stuff.
6. Comparing Services or Products
Show – don’t tell. It’s easy to tell your audience anything; show them your worth. Connect with your audience by displaying your knowledge. Help them out by filling their questions, showing off what you know about the industry, and offering a service. Market your accolades, your business ratings, or pleased customer feedback. Prove your business is the go-to source.
7. Find Influencers
To give your company a bit more authority, a good content marketing strategy is finding a subject matter expert. Recommendations from influential people can give your company a boost. In a casual mention, a subject matter expert can put extra weight behind your business.
8. Give the People What They Want!
After all the research, the audience searching, and influencer finding – the bottom line is you want to provide something for your audience. They are asking the questions, they are the ones feeling the pinch, and they want answers! A good way to establish a core audience, build a rapport, and establish credibility is to simply help them. When you gather all that SEO data, the best way to make yourself credible is by doing something with it. Use the data and reach your target audience.
9. Define a Voice
Writers need to wear a lot of different hats depending on who they are writing for. Based on the subject matter, writers develop a style to fit the bill. So, when your company is building a content marketing strategy, ask these questions: Who am I and what is my company about? Many big companies build a brand around their persona; Coke, Ford, Nike, and countless others established their story and consistently push out content mirroring that image. What is your persona?
10. Feedback and Social Networking
Constructive criticism is a good thing. While not every comment is a gem, listen to the feedback your audience is providing. If you aren’t getting feedback, consider branching out with social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit are a few good places to gather information, listen to feedback, and to build a bigger content marketing network. Find a way to reach your customers and readers to change your tactics for the better.
11. User-friendly Interaction and Connection
The best way to build your audience is to make your information accessible and user-friendly. Whether you are trying to explain the finer points of legal action or the details of a financial portfolio, always keep your audience in mind. You want to connect with your readers and to do that properly, language is key.
Your audience should be able to understand what you are trying to tell them. Additionally, they should be able to reach out to you easily. Audience interaction is the main component of content marketing. Are you taking the necessary actions to reach them?
