A resource for news innovators powered by American Press Institute
Complexity: Beginner
Article Complexity Bar Graph

Finding and defining your audience

Think clearly about the who, what, when, where and why of a target audience.

This resource will give you marketing 101 level skills to think about your audience(s), how to better define them and ultimately how to better engage them. It will make you ask simple questions like “who are my readers?” and “where do they live?” and “which competitors do they visit?” This piece is structured for online product marketers but the same principles it offers apply to modern digital newsrooms, especially those who have a specific content in mind for a specific audience. This will help you:

  • Find data to specifically identify your audience;
  • Consider what your audience wants/needs;
  • Determine when your audience currently interacts with you and when they could be better engaged;
  • Find exactly where your audience lives and consider how that is relevant to their content needs;
  • Think strategically about why this audience needs your news brand and engages with it — enabling you to take advantage of their interest in your content.