Several possible audiences exist when you create a blog. Your particular target depends on a number of factors, which are all very similar to the questions you had to answer in first grade when making “book reports” (I say making instead of writing because they usually had more markers and glue than words).
Factor one: Who are you?
Whenever I see a new blog, I first think, Who are you? And why should I read your blog? I feel like if I actually asked this question, instead of just thinking it, a surprising number of people respond, No one important, and I don’t care if you read it or not, including myself. If you are someone hilarious, your target audience is people who enjoy hilarity. If you are someone depressed, your target audience is people who are depressed…and people in Psy.D. programs. If you are affiliated with a certain religion, your target audience is others associated with that same religion. And so on. Granted, one beautiful quality of writing on the internet is that it is like acting—you can be anyone you want. So I guess this question really is, who do you want to be, or at least who are you claiming to be.
Factor two: What are you?
A serial killer who helps the FBI solve murder mysteries by studying blood spatter (shout out if you love Dexter)? An unemployed loser who sits on his but drinking beer all day? A yoga goddess who knows how to achieve complete peace with the world? What you are is very important. It determines what type of knowledge (or lack thereof) you will pass on to your audience.
Factor three: Where are you?
This actually isn’t terribly important due to the depths of the earth the internet can reach. However, if you are in the United States (for example), and speaking English, you probably don’t want your audience to be a small Creole speaking community in Africa.
Factor four: When are you?
I had to use when because it fits…but really, how old are you? Are you writing for your own age group? Are you telling people older than yourself what you don’t think they know? Or passing on your infinite wisdom to the hooligans down the street?
Factor Five: Why are you?
What’s your story? Why are you who you are? This is getting really deep. Just think about it.
My audience.
Well, I am a fairly average girl, who has innumerable thoughts going through her head at any given moment and overanalyzes most of them, living in the southern U.S., in my early twenties. And why I am…is just a really complicated question. I’m sure that will appear evident overtime.
Therefore, my audience is pretty much anyone who feels like listening. Ideally, people who can relate and a) sympathize, b) ignite an in-depth discussion of the topic at hand, or c) wants to know about my life. “C” is probably just my parents (hi family…). “A” and “B” are maybe some friends? Co-workers? Random blog junkies? I’m not really sure.
Love.
