How to create content for different audiences

Posting content online can feel like tossing a message in a bottle into the ocean and hoping a response will float back. You can experiment all you like, but without a process you’ll be lost at sea. 

Digital platforms can give you such a massive potential audience, yet the irony is that you may find content isn’t reaching anyone at all. So how do you figure out who your audience should be and how to create content for them across the different channels available to you? 

Who is your audience?

This article, for example, is published on the Base Creative website. Unless you’re spending your free time going through Google results alphabetically and have finally reached B, you’re unlikely to have stumbled upon this site by chance. 

Maybe you work for a digital marketing agency or you’re seeking one, or you are one of our existing client partners. That’s what we’d hope for. This article is aimed at a targeted audience most likely to help Base Creative fulfil its business goals, so it has been written with them in mind. It’s possible that an article like this one would be useful to a visitor without that background, but it’s less likely to bring business to Base Creative no matter how helpful they find this advice. 

It’s the same with your content. Consideration of who your content needs to reach for you to meet your business goals is key. Once you know this, you can start researching, planning, and writing your content.  

Creating content that resonates with your audience

Writing for a particular audience is easier said than done. You might have your ideal reader in mind, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to write for them without additional research. Here’s some of the research you can do:

Look at your competitors’ sites

This will help you get a better understanding of the way they are creating content for a similar audience. Are there any trends you can identify? For example, do they use FAQs, videos, infographics, articles, podcasts – and if so, in what contexts? On average, what length is their content and is it built for deep dives or quick overviews? 

Competitors won’t always get it right, but it’s a great place to start.

Review what your audience is saying

You can also check out your audience’s reviews, such as reviews that your sales team or account managers have collected, or on a public platform like Google Business Profile or TrustPilot. Even better, you can see what your competitors’ audiences are saying – and how they are saying it. These reviews can help you figure out what could work and what you should avoid when catering to the same audience.

Create separate pages for different user journeys

There’s no one-size-fits-all writing style. You need to make sure your site is clearly navigable for different audiences. 

Self-selection is a great way to ensure that the different content on your site is created with a specific audience in mind and that they’re going to reach it. The For Agencies page on this site does just that. Other websites will create whole sections on their websites dedicated to a particular audience, and have it clearly signposted in the navigation. Many sites will have pages titled “Careers” written for people searching for potential openings at their business as well. 

You can rinse and repeat the process above when creating content. Learn how your competitors are reaching the different audiences they might appeal to across similar pages. Are prospective clients in your sector more receptive to infographics while potential employees are more receptive to videos?

Look at the data

Once you’ve started creating content, use SEO and analytics tools to figure out which content is attracting the most engagement. 

You might have an article with a catchy headline that’s getting plenty of clicks, but see that people aren’t scrolling down very far or the page or staying for very long before moving on. You might see that you have some videos with fewer clicks but lead to more email enquiries, and so on. Once you’ve gained insights from this data, you can begin to reassess and prioritise certain types of content to get the results you need. 

Distinguish by channel

When writing for different social media platforms, consider how your audience will differ depending on the channel you’re using. 

For example, people reading your content on LinkedIn are more likely to be looking to work at your business, so content aimed at bringing in new business might be better suited to a site or email newsletter aimed at warm leads. Instagram, in contrast, may be better for communicating directly with potential customers, requiring you to adjust the type of content you’re creating accordingly.

Final thought

Your content needs to be audience-focused and your analysis of its success data-driven. It will take experimentation for you to figure out what’s working and what’s not, but with that process in mind you’ll be on your way to creating content that can help you meet your business goals. 

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More help

For more help, email me at [email protected].