“Wow, I am able to write a blog that applies equally to every group of people and I market my content on every single platform in a way that is appealing to all of them,” said no one ever.
If you are a human being, you have limits, and one of those limits is that you can’t do it all.
You have a certain amount of time, energy, and money to dedicate to your blog, and having a target audience ensures that you’re using those things wisely.
Now, having a target audience doesn’t mean that you have to write at the top of your blog something like “for teens only, all parents please navigate away immediately” there’s no harm in people that aren’t your target audience reading your blog. In fact, more readers is pretty much always a good thing!
The reason to have a target audience is resource management.
Your target audience is the group that you will spend your resources reaching out to and engaging with through your blog or business.
So how do I know what my target audience is?
Good question.
Your target audience could be obvious based on the niche of your blog, but it can also be challenging to narrow your audience down if you write on broader topics, such as fitness or technology.
For everyone who doesn’t have a target audience yet, who wants to have a better strategy on reaching out to that audience, keep reading!
Choosing your audience
One of the best ways to start picking a target audience is by demographic. This post will focus on target audiences by four age groups.
- Baby Boomers (~ages 54-72)
- Generation X (~ages 38-53)
- Millennials (~ages 22-37)
- Generation Z/iGen (teenagers/young adults)
I will go through each demographic, providing a comprehensive breakdown of the best niches for the group, ideas for blog posts, suggestions on how best to reach them, and advice on what styles to use that will be appealing.
As you read through, ask yourself the following for each demographic.
- Do I understand this group?
- Am a part of this group, or can I relate on a different level?
- Do I have access to this group?
- Do I have similar interests and/or passions to this group?
- Do I have something that I think would be valuable to this group?
If you answer yes to all the questions, you may have your target audience.
Let’s get started!
Baby Boomers
Breaking the usual stereotype of younger generations being more connected to the digital world, data actually shows Baby Boomers to be one the most active online demographics!
82% of Boomers use social media to connect with friends and family and own multiple social media accounts. Some statistics put Boomer’s time online at 27 hrs/week.
Boomers are more likely to spend time researching, which makes them more likely to actually click on business websites before buying a product or more time exploring a blog they’ve found on social media. That’s good news for us!
Pin the image below if you like this generation!
Generation X
Generation X is one of the most involved generations in blogging. Most of their time online is spent on social media, blogs, and streaming video. They spend about 7 hrs/week on social media and 32 hrs/week consuming media in general.
A great reason to blog for Gen X is that they currently hold the most disposable income and corporate power compared to the other groups due to their ages. They tend to be at the top of the corporate chains and are responsible for a significant portion of start-ups.
Plus, Gen Xers are in charge of their households as spouses and parents and are the most likely generation to base decisions off reviews and advice from blogs.
They also tend to be the most overlooked generation, so paying attention to them as your target audience might be a good idea!
Pin the image below if you like this generation!
Millennials
Ah, Millennials. The world is pretty hard on them, especially when it comes to their online presence, but they make a great blogging target audience!
Millennials tend to have a high percentage of online usage—around 7-8 hours/day—and are heavy social media users.
They are an interesting generation in that they value experiences over material gain, so blogs that deal with travel and other similar topics are a great option for this audience, rather than those that focus more on products.
Millenials are also known for being more concerned with finances and their futures than previous generations, but tend to want jobs that allow them to work from home or be self-employed, so entrepreneurship is equally important.
Pin the image below if you like this generation!
Generation Z
Often called the iGen, Generation Z members grew up in a digital world, and don’t recall times without the internet or smartphones.
Although many of this generation aren’t old enough to really get into the blogging world as of yet, they are already changing the media environment with a new view of the place for social media and blogging in the world.
Members of Gen Z use the internet more hrs/day than the other generations, but are actually using it differently than their predecessors. They have turned away from traditional social media platforms like Facebook, and are using apps such as Snapchat and WhatsApp, among others, to create a more individual experience.
Throughout various studies, this group has been found to desire a more personalized and private media environment, turning to Instagram stories and private DMs over public posts.
They also tend to use social media and the internet as entertainment, rather than as a main source of social interaction, leading to the popularity of memes, gifs, and vines.
They are also more optimistic toward the future than Millennials and are more community-conscious, getting themselves involved in social media campaigns for certain issues and displaying interest in starting charity organizations.
For this reason, any blog looking to make a difference in the world or just bring it some much needed laughter has a solid audience base if they focus on Gen Z.
Pin the image below if you like this generation!
While age categories are not the only thing to think about in target audiences (other examples may include gender, etc.), they are an important first step.
So go out there and start blogging to your target audience!
Did you decide on a group? Let us know by sharing this post and commenting!
Bethany Peterson is a junior at Wheaton College (IL) studying Interdisciplinary Studies and Journalism with a minor in Spanish. She has worked in blogging for three years first as a staff blogger for 31Women Ministries and now as an intern with LadyBossBlogger. She serves as Co-Editor in Chief at the Wheaton Record and hopes to go into journalism after graduation.