So, You Think You Know Your Audience?
When I first began my attempt to define my niche and create a website, I was too preoccupied with the myriad of other details to fully consider my audience. Yes, I had an understanding that the people who would be interested in the information offered on my site would be people who are quilters, what I didn't understand was that the "quilter" demographic was too broad and too general.
The first few posts (and several in the middle!) on my site are a clear indication that I lacked direction and if I are, even by accident, targeting an audience, it was one, very large and ambiguous audience.
Since those first posts is has been my aim to continually define and redefine my audience. I thought I had a pretty good handle on it until…I ventured into the unknown and wrote an article on a topic that was a significant departure from my usual posts.
Change is On the Way
This change in direction was the result of question posed to me by a friend who wanted to know if it was possible to use her children’s used clothes to make a quilt. I’ve seen plenty of articles, books and YouTube videos on using denim or T-shirts but not many describing how to make a quilt with used baby clothes.
I reasoned if she was asking this question there should be others out there as well. As it turns out, my reasoning was on target!
I will admit the topic is quilting and it is nowhere near as popular a search query as losing 100 lbs. a week, becoming a millionaire overnight or how to live like a Kardashian when your last name is Smith and you live on the edge of nowhere. HOWEVER, there are a fair number of folks with an interest in textiles.
A Jaxxy search for - How to Applique a Quilt several months ago yielded the following results:
AVG: 330 Traffic: 57 QSR: 10 KQI: Great SEO:94
A more recent search – How to Make a Quilt from Baby Clothes yielded these results:
AVG: 80 Traffic: 14 QSR: 18 KQI: Great SEO: 100
Sure, in a perfect world, I’d like to see a higher traffic #, a QSR closer to 200 and SEO over 100 however, after watching Jay’s webinar on Pinterest this past Friday I now see a real potential for those numbers to improve.
How Will Pinterest Improve My Site’s SEO?
If you have a Pinterest business account, look into the analytics. This little “gem” contains a LOT of information and will give you a better picture of who really is your audience.
Each time I published an article on my website I would automatically go to Canva and create a Pinterest pin and a Twitter post, all the while thinking my primary audience are people interested in making their first quilt. I’ve observed a slight increase in organic traffic on my site as well as my Pinterest boards but nothing much to write home about.
My most recent published article described techniques and showcased examples of how to make a quilt using baby clothes.
The analytics on Pinterest for that Pin (that is less than 1 week old) was very surprising! This was the first time a Pin that I created appeared under the category Children’s Fashion and the percentage of audience engagement for the category Baby Clothes was 72%.
Compare this to the specific interest category Quilting (under DIY and Crafts) which receives only 21 % audience engagement.
I’m going to let this simmer for a while and check back after I’ve published another article or two on using baby clothes to make a quilt and see the results. I will also follow up with publishing PINS and Twitter Posts.
Below is one of the Pinterest Pins I created
We Want That...
After writing the first article it was never my intent to publish another on how to use baby clothes to make a quilt - it'a nice topic but one I don't have a particular interest but, if that is what my audience wants…
While I’m on the subject of what your audience wants, below is a most fitting quote from J-K West’s blog from Saturday morning - https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/j-kwest/blog/las-vegas-2020-an-epic-adventure-i-cant-wait-to-do-again
It isn’t what you want that determines what other individuals will buy from you—it’s what they want. And that answer can only come from them, not from you…
“Probably 99 out of 100 salesmen try to motivate their prospects. And that’s their mistake. You’re not capable of motivating anyone, no matter how persuasive you think you are...
“Everyone is already motivated. The only question is ‘By what?"
"Your job is to find out what it is that motivates your prospect. And then show him or her how they can get what they want through your product or service. Only then will they buy…"
- Quote by Harry Browne (from The Secret of Selling Anything)
As much as we want to publish what WE like and what WE are interested in, if we are to be financially successful as online entrepreneurs, I have discovered we all need to do the following three things:
1) Define Our Audience - determine who we are talking to.
2) Align With Their 'Frequency'. Maybe Jeff and his Blog Dogs can make their way to the warehouse and pull a receiver from the "Wall of Receivers" and rent one out for a day? https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/jeffreybrown/blog/a-glimpse-...
It's just one of many ideas to help us 'tune in' and pick up the voices of our audience!
And,
3) Provide Our Audience What THEY Want.
What changes have you made lately to improve traffic to your site?
Recent Comments
18
Very awesome post, Susan--Great points, and I like that pin!
Well done, my friend! Enjoy your new week!
Jeff
You've picked up on the vibe Susan. There have been a number of articles of late that have touched on 'audience'.
Who are they ? Where they hang out, what do they want or need.
It's very cool that you have found this 'extra' group and can give them what they need.
And the cool part is I didn't anticipate finding this extra group at all! Even listening to Jay's webinar I didn't think there would be much more for me to learn - boy was I wrong!
I have realised that there will always be something to learn. At least knowing that means there is no room for complacency.
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Great Post SAWalden.
Hi Edward - Thank yo so much for your comment!