Great Content Creators Know Their Audience

By Arick Wierson

In the world of non-fiction content creation – be it traditional news reporting, penning opinion columns, documentary film-making, blogging or vlogging, or whatever verb we use to call those who communicate via TikTok, it's easy to get caught up in the allure of snappy wordplay or controversial stances or in the case of videos, funny or slick editing — after all, who doesn't love a clever turn of phrase, a boldly divisive opinion, or a visually engrossing experience?

But let's not kid ourselves – the real key to creating superb content isn't just about linguistic gymnastics, playing devil's advocate, or painting a beautiful picture. It's about something far more profound: Understanding Your Audience.

And that is something only the best content creators really master.

Storytellers need to grasp the intricate dance between content and audience. Successful content creation is a delicate waltz, and the first step is getting to know your dance partner – your audience.

It's not enough to throw around big words and edgy opinions if they don't resonate with the people on the other side of the screen. It's like showing up to a salsa class and insisting on joking around by doing the Macarena – probably entertaining for a few minutes, but completely missing the mark.? And eventually irritating those who really are serious about salsa.

So, what's the secret sauce to captivating your audience? It's not mind-bending metaphors or big swings that try to break the internet with hot takes; it's understanding what your audience already knows and believes. It's about meeting them where they are and guiding them a little bit further down the rabbit hole.

Whether they're seeking knowledge, entertainment, or just satisfying their insatiable curiosity, you, as a content creator, need to be your audience’s guide, not their dictator.

Here’s an example from my own world. As many of you know, I write for a number of national publications including CNN, NBC News, Newsweek, Worth Magazine, The Observer, Vice and the New York Daily News as well as a few trade publications.

Although the topics I end up writing about may vary considerably from one publication to the next, and I may be forced to adjust my tone and writing style to match the general contours of each publication’s stylistic direction, the biggest variable that I need to take into consideration as a content creator is the audience that tends to come to each of these publications.

I know, for example, that the typical Newsweek is reader is probably a more conservative Democrat or a centrist Republican. Generally speaking, a Newsweek reader, like any habitual reader or viewer of an established news source, expects to see material that will generally match their worldview. As a content creator, I need to bring readers along on a journey to where I want to lead them but before I can do that, I need to meet them where they are. If I start out by making some bold assertion that will likely fail to resonate, I may lose them before I hit my second paragraph.

And the same goes for TV and online video.

I recently recorded a video segment for The Observer talking about “philanthropic private equity.” The video will serve as a companion piece to a story I recently wrote on the same topic. The video, like the story, leads with my talking about the challenges facing billionaires who are frustrated with the lack of options in the world philanthropy -- especially when it comes to deploying their fortunes for massive change at scale.

But knowing the reader (and viewer) of The Observer, I know that he or she is probably from New York or another a major east or west coast city or has what I call an “Acela Corridor” mentality. They are intrigued by power – who has it and how it’s used. So, I lean into that.

I start by taking the reader into the room – or more specifically into the brain of the reader and talk about how different the reader's brain is from a run-of-the-mill billionaire (if such a thing exists).

Here is the opening salvo:

For most of us outside the upper 0.001 percent of global wealth holders, among the things we likely do?not?end up worrying about on a regular basis is how difficult it is to give away our money. But for many of the world’s ultra-high-net-worth—many of whom give annual gifts to charities in the tens of millions—the limitations of the traditional models of philanthropy are becoming increasingly evident.

Right away, I have met Observer readers right where they are: intrigued with power and fascinated by what it’s like to have it.

And that’s the key.

By contrast, if I was writing about “philanthropic private equity” for Worth Magazine, which actually caters to the ultra-high net worth – people worth tens of millions of dollars or even more – my opening would have made the conundrum about lack of opportunities around philanthropy more personal.

The magic happens when you align your content with the desires and expectations of your audience. It's not about pandering or playing it safe, but rather about crafting content that resonates with your audience's existing knowledge and beliefs, while gently nudging them towards new horizons.

So, next time you're tempted to rely solely on clever wordplay or controversial opinions, take a moment to ask yourself: Who is my audience, and why are they here? What do they already know, and what are they hoping to discover? It's the art of creating content with intention, not just for the sake of making noise.

In the grand ballroom of content creation, it's not about stealing the spotlight; it's about leading a dance that leaves your audience wanting an encore.

Thanks for reading.

And if you like what you saw today, please give it a share across your network.

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Arick

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