11.3: Strategies for audience building

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): The media worktable. (Unsplash free-to-use license; Marvin Meyer)

Audience building in digital networks can be broken down into three steps: Identify your audience, develop a content strategy, and measure and respond to audience engagement metrics.

Target acquired

All media products, even those geared toward millions of media consumers, have a target audience in mind. Think about top grossing film franchises like James Cameron's Avatar and the Marvel Avengers movies. They tend to focus on a white, male millennial audience in terms of whom the films represent, first and foremost, and in whom the films were primarily promoted to when first released. This is not to say that these films lack any representation of women, people of color, or people from different age demographics. It is simply to say that the primary target was white, male millennials at a time when their disposable income was the largest media revenue source filmmakers could hope to reach. The fact that this type of media consumer could enjoy the film with family members and buy the toys for their children (and themselves) also proved lucrative. These films did have target audiences in mind. The target was simply a large one that already enjoys representation in many other media forms.

In order to grow audiences further and also to respond to critics who noted a lack of representation of people of color and women in blockbuster films, the motion picture industry has diversified its offerings in recent decades with mixed results. In some cases, such as Black Panther (2018), the primary target audience was African American millennials, but the film proved popular with a much wider audience. The quality of story and production value make a world of difference regardless of whom the target audience is when it comes to blockbuster film success. Mere pandering to diverse demographics is not enough to sustain blockbuster movie audiences.

Audiences from all backgrounds are understandably unenthusiastic about half-hearted efforts to appeal to various groups, but films such as the Black Panther franchise, Coco (2017), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Barbie (2023), and various film sequels with diverse casts have demonstrated how films can target people of color and continue to reach all types of moviegoers.

When media writers conceive of a new media product or try to re-tool an existing one to broaden its appeal they, along with media managers, need to have a target audience in mind. Ideally, the content is so innovative, creative, exciting and powerful that appeal reaches different demographics, but every media creation has to start somewhere.

Demographics and psychographics

Media writers need to be aware of two factors when they craft news stories, stories for entertainment purposes, advertising, PR content, etc. They need to pay attention to demographic and psychographic data.

Demographics are baseline categories that can help you define, but hopefully not stereotype, your target audience. 

• Age - Understanding the age range of your audience is fundamental to tailoring your content and communication style. Different age groups have distinct content preferences and expectations with regard to language, tone, and depth of content. 

• Gender - Gender considerations may play a role in how you craft your messages and in your approach to selecting images when used.  An audience that identifies as predominantly male may respond differently than one that identifies as predominantly female. Media writers should not play into gender stereotypes, essentialism, or assume through prejudice that people identifying as women, men, or non-binary must want certain things in their media content determined by how they identify. However, if an audience is predominately one gender or the other, or both, or neither, you may find them responding more to some styles or tones in content, and it is the job of an audience-building media professional to know how their audience responds. 

• Location - Geographic location influences culture, including language preferences, and time zones should be considered when scheduling publishing. Tailoring your content to resonate with specific regions can bolster audience development. 

• Income level and social status – Knowing your audience’s socioeconomic status as well as their perception of how much socioeconomic status matters can help you reach them on their terms. That being said, playing to a sense of superiority or preying on the fears of audience members is unethical and likely not sustainable in the long term if only because pandering media outlets can easily be undercut by those who pander harder.

Psychographics are audience identifiers that look more deeply at their preferences, habits, values, and beliefs. Most psychographic data is gathered without the direct knowledge of consumers, although most of us are aware that social media platforms, web browsers, and other technologies are constantly gathering “our data.” Media companies should use psychographic data to better serve audiences, but media professionals must always bear in mind how creepy and personally invasive these technologies are becoming. We must be able to harness psychographic data as a tool to provide better service. However, we must be willing to back off of specific uses of data or be aware that regulators might “pull the plug,” so to speak, when we think about using such data to target individuals. 

• Lifestyle – lifestyle choices include career goals, family structures, and daily routines. Considering lifestyle information can help you to shape the timing and nature of your content posts and interactions. 

• Beliefs & Values – Aligning your content with the values and beliefs of your audience helps to create a sense of collective identity that goes deeper than surface level and, again, helps build loyalty to the brand and/or to the writer. 

• Interests & hobbies – Knowing your audience's core interests and which hobbies they prefer should help you to create content that aligns with their passions. This can create deeper relationships and loyalty, which are key elements in audience building. In basic terms, it can help you create content that resonates on a personal level, and it can keep ‘em coming back!

Blurred lines

The previous two subsections dealt with identifying your core audience. All the audience research in the world will not help your media company if you lack high quality content. There is a gray area between pandering and using good audience targeting to craft content that resonates. Successfully navigating paths through that gray area depend on how well the media company and media writers know their network community, a.k.a. their audience.

It is best if we are honest with ourselves about this reality as media writers: We do not always know what audiences want and part of the issue with knowing what audiences will like is that audiences themselves do not always know what they want. Media audiences often crave novelty. The research cited in this article does not suggest that humans always prefer novelty over familiarity but instead suggests that when we are curious, seeking novel information can satiate that curiosity.

One tip for developing a content strategy is to speak to your audience's curiosities or to produce content that makes them curious. The nature of news is that it satisfies our inherent curiosity about what is happening in the world around us. Audience members may be more or less curious about specific aspects of news, but almost everyone wants to have some idea about what is going on in the world.

The challenge for newswriters is to avoid sensationalizing news events. Professionals should not misrepresent events to make them sound more exciting than the reality. Nor should they focus only on the most violent or gruesome aspects of an event. Some forms of media writing have built-in curiosity engines. During a professional sports season, the outcome of the next game or match is always unknown. For all other types of media writing, creators need to constantly be aware of what people are curious about and strive to satisfy and/or stoke that curiosity.

Entertainment writers, which often include advertising copywriters, often strive to create curiosity and satisfy curiosity in the same message. By writing simple problem-solution narratives, they can pique readers' interest and provide a payoff. An example of a problem solution narrative is an ad that shows people exercising and getting thirsty. Thirst is the problem and then the sports drink, soft drink, or premium bottled water can be presented as the solution.

Social media platforms are known to cultivate curiosity through the use of algorithms that analyze user preferences and serve up a constant menu of the types of content audiences have already shown an interest in. Thus, social media platforms can reliably deliver instant payoffs. What they are not particularly good at is verifying information or evaluating the quality of content.

Media companies need to be present on social media platforms to make consumers aware of their work, but their professional charge is not necessarily to cultivate this somewhat perverse short attention span cycle. Instead, they can curate the best content in tandem with the processes that are native to digital social media networks.

More about content strategies

Aside from the meta-discourse about appealing to curiosity, there are more tactical approaches to developing content strategies. Assuming you know as a writer what your audience is interested in, you can create or find characters that audiences identify with and tell stories through their eyes. You can engage audiences in co-creating narratives by inviting them to share their input.

Fashion and tastes change quickly, particularly in a period of information overload. The time it takes for media consumers to become bored with a performer, a topic, or a media work may be shorter than ever. Consider this article about how short-lived most social media trends are from early 2023. It references TikTok trends and other viral social media content from mid-to-late-2022 ("dabloons," "my money don't jiggle jiggle," and more) that were already outdated at the time the article was written. At the time media writing students read this, these may, at best, be faint memories with little to no current usage, and these were massively popular viral memes in 2022.

All of this is to say that media writers cannot plan on going viral to build sustainable audiences. We need to funnel audiences from the kinds of information that attract their attention to the kinds of information that foster trust and reliability.

Think about the most popular and lasting advertising campaigns. They have had both short-term attractiveness and long-term appeal because they created deep connections with audiences and continued to reciprocate audience loyalty. Audience building is about building lasting, deep connections with dedicated fans who appreciate both the content you provide and the way it is presented.

This thesis, which led to one of the most-cited academic articles about audience engagement, defines "engagement" as connections reached with media audiences on cognitive, behavioral, and emotional terms. This is to say if you want to build audiences, engage media consumers' rational minds and their emotional "hearts," and then make a habit of it.

In summary, a coherent content strategy is based on what audiences need and want, it sustains and satisfies curiosities, it does not pander to base tastes, and it balances feeding users' emotional wants and needs with providing reasonable information -- even in the context of entertainment content.

Your content will often directly address the needs and interests of your audience. What was once considered a special category of news, sometimes referred to as “news you can use” in the industry is now a staple of content intended to build audiences. This type of information focuses on the timely and practical.  Whether the content solves a problem, strives to educate about a key issue, or thoughtfully breaks down a complex process into a “How-To,” it is advisable to focus your content on what resonates most with your target demographic. 

It is often not considered sufficient to identify problems audience members face without offering solutions. While no media outlet has all of the answers to the problems audience members face, content is considered much more valuable if readers and viewers have a sense of what to do with the information provided. Identify challenges your audience faces, and, where possible, include real solutions in your content. This not only addresses their immediate concerns but positions you as a valuable resource. Problem-solving content enhances credibility and fosters trust. 

Ultimately, you will want to strive for a balance between educational and entertaining content. Informative content establishes authority, while entertaining content keeps your audience engaged. A mix of both contributes to a well-rounded and appealing content strategy. 

Measuring impact

The final step in audience building is to develop a dynamic engine of content delivery and data analytics where the two processes inform each other to help media writers and media companies maintain and grow networks of audience members.

• Surveys – Surveys are helpful for collecting direct feedback. Craft targeted surveys to understand their preferences, hopes, and pain points, i.e. moments of frustration or annoyance in daily life that might be addressed with your content or with the brands, products, or services you represent. 
   
  Analyze survey data to identify patterns and trends that can inform your audience-building strategy. Surveys often ask about the time of day people find your content, the platform(s) they prefer to use to connect with you, and the types of content and tone they prefer. 

• Analytics – Use analytics tools to gather quantitative data about your audience's online behavior. Platforms like Google Analytics and social media insights provide the aforementioned demographic data as well as user engagement information. Interpret these metrics to refine your approach.  
   
  One of the best social media platforms, at the time of publication (2024), to use to learn how to gather and track social media engagement metrics for free is YouTube Studio. Many paid services exist, but YouTube Studio is somewhat unique in terms of the breadth and depth of free analytics tools it offers users, even those who are only beginning to build their audience(s). 

• Social Media Insights – Social media platforms offer detailed insights into audience behavior. Monitor engagement metrics, track follower growth, and identify popular content. Use this data to adjust your content strategy and optimize your online presence. 

Community Engagement 

• Foster a sense of community among your audience. Encourage discussions, group activities, and shared experiences. A thriving community not only strengthens loyalty but also serves as a powerful word-of-mouth marketing tool. 

• Encourage User-generated content. Empower your audience to contribute to your content. User-generated content not only diversifies your material but also fosters a sense of ownership among your audience. Contests, challenges, or simply encouraging sharing can spark creativity. 

• Respond to Feedback and Questions. Actively listen to your audience's feedback. Respond to comments, address questions, and show appreciation for their input. A responsive approach demonstrates that you value your audience's opinions and strengthens the connection. 

Building an online brand 

If you have successfully found an audience, developed a content strategy, and learned how to best measure what content is consumed the most, appreciated the most, and why, you will be well on your way to developing an online brand with a good chance at success. External factors will always be an issue when building media audiences, but as media writers contributing to the sustainability of media companies, helping to build a solid brand is essential to what we do.

For further success, consider the following steps:

Audience Growth Strategies 

• Collaborations and Partnerships. Explore collaboration opportunities with individuals or organizations that share your target audience. Cross-promotions and partnerships can introduce your content to new audiences, fostering growth. 

• Paid Advertising. Consider strategic paid advertising to amplify your reach. Platforms like social media and search engines offer targeted advertising options. Invest wisely based on the demographics and preferences of your audience. 

• Viral Campaigns. Craft content with the potential of going viral. While not guaranteed, creating shareable and unique content increases the likelihood of reaching a broader audience. Viral campaigns can significantly contribute to audience growth. 

Measuring and Analyzing Audience Growth   

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to your audience-building goals. Metrics such as engagement rates, conversion rates, and audience demographics provide insights into the effectiveness of your strategies. 

• Regularly analyze the collected data and adjust your strategies accordingly. Identify successful tactics and areas for improvement. Flexibility and adaptability are crucial in the dynamic landscape of audience building.