Survey Your Audience

As we mention in almost all of our blog posts here at Echidna, it’s extremely important to begin every new digital project with a clear marketing strategy in place. Whether you’re launching your very first “Pin” Board, Google AdWords campaign or a brand new website, it’s important to start by defining your project goals, objectives and most importantly your target audience. You’ve already got a marketing strategy in place? Great, then you’re on the right track!

I recently read a blog post from our friends at @BrainTraffic that spoke about understanding your context before you can create effective content. But, what does this really mean? 

Understanding the context in which users use your content (again, whether on social media or your website), is extremely, extremely important. Ask yourself: “Who uses this content and what do they use this content for?” By answering this, you’ll be much better equipped to create effective content for your users.

So now what? What if you’re not really 100% sure why or how users are using your content. Don’t worry, there are ways to find out!

Consider using a survey to address these very issues. Remember that client email list you never take advantage of? Well now is your chance! Create a survey using a 3rd party tool like Survey Monkey and ask your target audience relevant questions.

Below are a few examples to get you started:

Out of the 3 sections listed below, which section do you use most on our website? (Example: News, Careers, Products or Services)

On a scale of 1-10, how relevant do you feel our blog content is to you in your industry?

Why did you “Like” our Facebook Page? Please choose the best answer that most suits you. 

• I wanted to learn about your products and services.
• I was asked to by a friend.
• I want to be informed about specials, sales and promotions.
• I don’t know. 

Your survey can consist of a variety of questions and will most definitely help you start to understand the context in which users are using your content. 

@BrainTraffic really says it best: “Understand your audience—not just who they are, but what they’re doing and how they feel. By knowing the why and when, you can get one big step closer to delivering the right content at the right time.”