Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Do you know your target audience? From blogging to creating videos on YouTube, it’s all about making connections with those who absorb your content. And if you want to make the most out of making money online, you need to know who is viewing your material.
The purpose of any piece of content is to be absorbed by somebody.
Whether you’re a small blogger with 100 views a month or a powerhouse developer on YouTube with over five million subscribers, being seen is the general idea.
[adrotate banner=”8″]
Why is the Target Audience Important?
Creating content for your target audience vastly improves a variety of results. From getting better bounce rates to cashing in on affiliate marketing, it’s the people you create for who will propel your site or channel.
Boosting Recognition in Your Industry
I know not everyone focuses on a specific industry. However, those who do will create content specifically for a group of people. For instance, gaming blogs and channels target those who play games.
Tech websites are focusing on people interested in technology and electronics.
In the end, it’s about creating a website or other online venue that is recognized as a leader. Think of your most favorite brand and why. What did the company do to win your support?
Improving Click-Through Rates
A more focused audience is also more likely to click ads and make purchases. Part of this is because the target audience is already interested in your content. Adding something they would like to buy often inspires them to do so.
For example, let’s say you created a blog centering around health and fitness. Would you place affiliate ads on your site for pet supplies? Only if the pet supplies inspired health and fitness for the pet.
One part of the algorithm for Google Adsense is contextual targeting. This means ads are shown to visitors in relation to the content of the webpage. If you write about cars, contextual targeting sends ads according to automobiles.
Inspiring Devote Fans
Devote fans can make all the difference in sales, leads and online reputation. You create these by essentially giving your target audience exactly what they want…or at least close to it.
A good example of this aspect is Apple. A large portion of the “new” technology in the iPhone X has been around for several years – such as wireless charging. However, Apple fans will remain devoted to Apple even though certain technologies are already featured in many products since 2015.
Personally, I am a fan of L2 on YouTube. Not only does Scott Galloway fill his videos with marketing facts, but his mannerism and sense of humor resonate for me. And this is effective targeting.
Making More Money
The bottom line is your target audience will help drive your content to generate more money. In fact, your viewers and readers are often who will dictate what goes viral. The more of an impact the content makes for a person, the more likely it is shared.
Not everyone is interested in making money, though. In reality, I created this website far before I started monetizing it because I want to share my success and how others can as well. However, it’s nice to get a bit of income throughout the year for my work in helping others.
The point is the target audience often pays the bills for many people and businesses.
5 Ways to Create for Your Target Audience
So, what can you do to engage your target audience? That’s really up to you and your marketing strategy. But, here are several ideas I’ve found across various channels, including myself, which have worked for many creators.
1. Identify Your Most Effective Content
Your most effective content are those pieces that receive the most attention. You can get an idea of what your most popular pieces are by using tools like Google Analytics. Personally, I also take a glance at my stats through Jetpack and WordPress.org.
Site Stats is a great module within the Jetpack plugin for WordPress.
Once you identify what content your readers and viewers are more interested in, make more of it. For example, I’ve found question-and-answer articles perform better in my health and fitness blog than anything else. For Writer Sanctuary, it’s creative content and how-tos.
Each creator will have a specific audience, which means you might find success using numbered lists or adding more comedy to the mix.
Monitor what posts and videos get the most attention and build on it.
2. Be Reliable and Consistent
Being reliable and consistent is important if you want to keep an engaged target audience. People like to know when to expect a new post or video, and many will schedule their time around you if they really like your content.
One example of this is the Philip DeFranco Show on YouTube. People often leave comments noting if the daily video is late. His audience is in anticipation of new content and come in droves as soon as the notification appears in browsers or phones.
Timing isn’t the only thing in which consistency is a factor. The type of content you deliver as well as the style also plays a part of connecting with your target audience. The last thing a gaming website wants to produce is something political unless it is connected to gaming.
One of the things that drives me to kick myself in the butt is not being reliable and consistent. Since maintaining a regular schedule for content on my health and fitness blog, I’ve seen my traffic and engagement increase nearly 100%!
If I would have managed my time better and maintained a precise schedule, who knows how successful I could have become.
3. Always Remain True to Your Voice
Being true to your brand or your voice lends to authenticity. And this is important when trying to get more readers and viewers. The moment you veer away from what you or your brand stand for, people will start to abandon your content.
It’s all about delivering unique content, even from a business viewpoint. It’s an element people will recognize and come to expect. And in today’s world, setting yourself apart from the crowd is important when engaging new potential readers and viewers.
Don’t be afraid to try something new. But keep in mind that not all changes you make will be widely accepted. For instance, I watch Boogie2988 on YouTube for his more serious pieces. In addition to his videos, he creates a skit character named, “Francis.” Personally, I don’t like these and do not watch them.
However, Boogie2988 does have a lot of viewers who watch the Francis videos specifically…and that’s OK to. Just remember what content connects with the target audience and create that in addition to your side ideas.
4. Focus on Your Niche
Like I said before, focusing more on your niche improves the quality of your visitors. What do I mean by “quality visitors?” I mean those who are more likely to click or make purchases from your site or channel.
Keeping a focus on your niche also keeps people coming back for more. I watch Achievement Hunter on YouTube because of the games they play and the personality of those creating the videos. Would I watch them if they dived more into politics? No.
Keeping focused also strengthens your material. Instead of being spread out among other industries and only covering them half way, you are more renown for your focus. Nike is a powerhouse for footwear, not groceries.
Another example is this site, Writer Sanctuary. I don’t create gaming content here because that’s not my target audience for this website.
5. Ignore the Trolls
There’s a motto I’ve been living by since the early days of running my computer business in 2008: “You can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time.” People are going to hate for no other reason than because they woke up in the morning.
In reality, it’s not the trolls you’re targeting. You want the quality readers and viewers who are interested in your content. Don’t get sucked into someone’s negativity, especially if it’s from someone you’re not really focusing on anyway.
The content you create should focus on those who read or watch it. Don’t try to make someone else happy, especially if it goes beyond your own authenticity.
It’s those who give a thumbs-up on a video or like and share your blog posts that you truly want to focus on. Who cares how low the blue bar in YouTube goes as long as your target audience still likes the content.
Case in point, I lose a little respect for celebrities every time one of them apologizes because a handful of people criticize them. People are going to hate, especially on social media. It’s the ones who understand you that you’re trying to engage, not the trolls.
Don’t get me wrong, some celebrities have done some severely bad things. But dressing up as an indian to go to a “Lone Ranger” themed party is not one of them.
It’s All About Engagement
Your target audience are those you’re trying to engage on purpose. You’ll never reach everyone on the globe, so don’t try. When you do, you start to lose credibility with those who follow because they like what you produce. Create content for those who will propel your success but be aware of crossing lines.
- How I Am Balancing College While Maintaining All of My Projects - March 26, 2025
- Why You Should Consider the Weekly Writing Contests at Reedsy - March 24, 2025
- Can You Use vidIQ for Blog Ideas? It’s Not Just for YouTube - March 21, 2025