Tips for creating audience-focussed content

Mining for audience-focused content ideas

Once you understand who your target audiences are and the tasks they want to carry out, you plan the content they’re looking for as part of their research and decision-making process.

There is a wealth of useful tools online to help you get into the mindset of your audience. If you type a keyword into Google it will suggest some commonly asked questions on the topic, but a tool like AnswerThePublic takes this idea much further.

You can explore a vast database to reveal the long-tail keyword searches people are actively Googling and even receive ‘Search Listening Alerts’ to detect emerging trends.

Other keyword research tools can be useful, such as Moz, Google Search Console, or Keywords Everywhere. And social listening insights from the likes of Sprout can help to mine the endless stream of social media chatter.

You can use these insights as a jumping-off point when planning content, to create blogs or landing pages that address common questions, demonstrate your expertise, and build trust.

Content as a service

For content that is also delivering a service, you’re going to want to ensure it’s accessible and intuitive. This is particularly true if you work with hard-to-reach audiences such as those who don’t speak English as their first language. Write your content in Plain English and offer translations to other languages if appropriate.

Beyond words

Consider the format of your content too. Most often we think of content as words on a page, or perhaps infographics or a video. But we want to remove as many barriers to engagement as we can, so think about the best possible format to deliver the information.

Alternative types of content such as calculators, maps, quizzes, or other ‘widgets’ can often be a more intuitive way to guide the user through a process and answer their questions.

For instance, Marie Curie have a lovely tool to help fundraisers find a running event, which is far more user-friendly than a simple list of dates and venues.

Another example is the quiz-style Eligibility Checker on the Clergy Support Trust website, which allows beneficiaries to explore whether they are eligible for a grant before they apply. This is more intuitive than a page of written eligibility criteria could ever be.

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and think beyond mere words to create truly engaging content that meets their goals as well as yours.