How to make content work for you.

Don't Just Create Content, Create Content for Someone. What is the difference?

That difference is enormous, and it directly impacts whether your content succeeds or fails.

Imagine throwing darts blindfolded. That's essentially what you're doing when you create content without understanding your target audience. If you don't know their needs, their likes, their interests, or even their daily routines, you run a huge risk of your content being irrelevant. It won't grab attention, engagement will be low, and there'll be no compelling reason for anyone to come back for more.

The very first question that needs to be asked before you create any content, whether a podcast, social media content, or a live stream, is WHO is this for?

When you know your audience, you can create content that's tailor-made to suit their specific interests and needs. This isn't just about getting their attention; it's about keeping it.

Once you have that person in mind, keep them there, front and center, throughout your entire creation process.

Radio stations are masters of this. Many have a detailed profile with some stations even a picture of their "standard listener" pinned-up on their studio walls. This description goes beyond demographics, diving into their likes, interests, what they watch on TV, how they spend their free time, and their weekend activities. This keeps presenters focused on exactly who they're speaking to. They invest significant time and money in audience research to ensure their content and music perfectly align with those they want to attract and engage.

They don't just broadcast; they understand their audience intimately.

Once you've nailed down the WHO, the next question is "WHY?"

Is your content purely for entertainment, or do you want it to drive a specific action? When you understand your audience's preferences and what truly interests them, you can craft content that effectively prompts them to do something. This is how you make content work for you. Knowing your audience helps you create effective calls to action (CTAs), which in turn significantly increases your return on investment (ROI).

With the WHO and the WHY firmly established, you can then tackle the "WHAT?"

Is a podcast the most effective way to engage your target customer? Will social media content best achieve those effective CTAs? Or is a live stream your best bet for deep engagement and a strong ROI, by tapping into your audience's likes, interests, and passions to prompt them to act on your content?

Do not create content, create it for the WHO, knowing WHY you're creating it and WHAT the best way is to get the WHO to engage with it.

The very first question that needs to be asked before you create any content, whether a podcast, social media content, or a live stream, is WHO is this for?

How to make content work for you is effectively quite simple. If you do not ask these questions, this means you can be wasting time, resources, and money. That is the key difference.