How I Tried Running My Blog With The Off Campus Crew: Grace Ivers and Audience Analysis

Friday 26 June, 11:00 AM

After wrapping up my Instagram marketing session with Sabrina, I took a quick look around the office.

For the first time it was all quiet.

There was a knock at the door. Grace Ivers came in with a notebook and smiled. "I guess I'm the final consultation."

I smiled back. "You saved the best topic for last".

She laughed and sat down across from me. "So, audience analysis?"

"Audience analysis."

I opened my laptop.

"First question. Who is your audience?"

Grace thought for a moment. "The people you are trying to reach?"

I nodded. "That's the starting point."

We began to look at different websites, social media accounts and, marketing campaigns.

One thing became obvious. The strongest brands weren't speaking to everyone.

They exactly knew who they wanted to help.

I looked over at Grace. "The biggest mistake marketers make is trying to create content for everyone."

"And what happens?"

"They end up connecting with no one."

She nodded thoughtfully.

For the next hour, we talked about audience research, customer personas , demographics, interests, online behaviour , and why understanding your audience should come before creating content.

At one point, Grace looked up from her notebook. "So before writing a blog post, or creating a video, you should ask who it's actually for?"

I smiled. "Exactly."

Everything else becomes easier once you understand your audience.

Your content.

Your branding.

Your SEO.

Your social media.

It all starts there.

By the end of the session, Grace closed her notebook.

"I thought audience analysis would be just about reading data."

"And now?"

"It's about understanding people."

I smiled. "That's marketing in one sentence."

Grace laughed as she stood up.

"Thanks , Anisha."

"Anytime."
As she walked out of the office, I looked around the room.

Two weeks.

Ten consultations.

Ten areas of marketing.

And somehow, every conversation had lead back to the same lesson.

Marketing has never really been about algorithms.

It's always been about people.

I smiled to myself and reached for the next client folder sitting on my desk.

Curious, I opened it.

I froze.

"...Beacon Hills?"

I flipped through the first few pages.

Then another.

Then another.

"Oh...."

I buried my face in my hands. "Oh, God."

Looks like I've got another whole team to work with.

This is going to be very... interesting?