So you’ve formally defined your publication’s target audience. (And you did, right? You didn’t just answer, “Everyone” and move on? If it’s the latter, review Commandment 1. Right now. Trust me on this.)
Now it’s time to define the reason you’re doing all this in the first place.
At first, the answer might seem obvious: You’re ready to tell people stuff you think they should know about, and your content is the platform. Well, technically, if you boil it all down, you’re right. But you have to admit it’s kind of a broad target. That is, content isn’t automatically considered a success just by virtue of someone, anyone seeing it.
That’s why I’d be willing to bet you’re actually hoping people not only see your work, but have a specific reaction to it. That, my friends, is the true purpose of your publication. And it meshes quite nicely with the rest of your planning because you already figured out the target audience that is most likely to respond the way you’re hoping they will. (See, I told you Commandment 1 would come in handy!)
Let’s say you’re in charge of publicizing a lecture series sponsored by your birdwatching organization. The people who are most likely to attend include members of your organization and others who share similar interests. They’re your target audience, and you’re hoping a good number of them will see the event information and decide to come to all or part of the series. Spurring them to action is the publication’s purpose. Combining these two elements — target audience and purpose — you decide that your most effective marketing approach could involve email or direct mail to your regular distribution list, social media updates and reminders for your followers and maybe some fliers hung in strategic locations such as outdoors-gear shops.
Here are some common content purposes:
- Call to action: Like the lecture-series example above, these publications often involve marketing something to prospective customers or attendees. You’re hoping the information will sway them toward buying your product or attending your event. Commerce isn’t always the ulterior motive in this category. A birthday party invitation also falls here since you’re aiming to woo people to help celebrate.
- Boost influence and reputation: This purpose often goes hand-in-hand with the call to action. That’s because if your reach and reputation are solid, it’s a lot easier to persuade people to do what you’d like them to do. Certain social media efforts also might fall into this category: snippets of information or commentary that don’t directly market or publicize anything but instead help position you as an authority in the subject. Annual reports, business-related blogs and white papers also can fit in here.
- Information and education: This category covers everything from textbooks and journal articles to newspapers, self-help books and niche magazines. At its core, you’re sharing knowledge or commentary with the audience to help them make informed decisions or experience a different perspective. The subject area can be broad — as with your daily newspaper, which has a little bit of something for everyone — or narrow, such as your neighborhood newsletter.
- Emotional response: Creative writing falls here, as does satire. The goal is to connect with the audience on a more visceral level, whether giving them a good laugh or cry, helping them feel entertained, keeping them enthralled by a good story or simply impressing them with your intricate plot and crisp writing style.
Just like defining your target audience, the more specific you can be when defining your publication’s purpose, the better it will guide your content and design choices later.
Move on to Commandment 3: Thou Shalt Use Restraint