Target audiences: A primer
The proliferation of online news and information sources — and the primacy of online platforms like Meta and Google — have forced newsrooms to reconsider the vague, “general” audiences they once served.
Audiences have choices – lots of choices. So, it is imperative that your newsroom understand the needs and interest of audiences from their perspective, not yours.
Using defined criteria for making key decisions is an enormously important discipline to build in your news enterprise. The best way to learn how to serve targeted audiences with targeted content is to ‘just do it.’ Get going now!
Here’s an idea to steal and adapt: Meet your target audiences in the online spaces where they’re already gathering.
Here’s an idea to steal and adapt: How to create a regional keepsake that drives revenue toward your newsroom.
Don’t assume you know what a generation wants from their local news if you’re not in that generation. And don’t generalize. Active listening sessions will help you hone in on specific coverage gaps.
Mistakes lead to progress when it comes to engagement — just ask your peers at the Montgomery Advertiser, Dallas Morning News and Substantial Media.
Here’s an idea to steal and adapt: Create a town hall-style event for local candidates running for office to engage with constituents often excluded from the election cycle. The town hall hosted by EdNC, a nonprofit news outlet covering education in North Carolina, allowed high school students in a rural county to meet with candidates for state superintendent.