Hire your customers – ask them what they want

Do you want to do more than survive, but rather thrive in your publishing endeavors? A primary objective is to meet the needs of the audience. Most publishers strive to do this, but at the same time they assume too much about the reader/customer. Or they move forward on information that is dated (over two years old) about the audience’s needs. Recognizing this core principal is vital to creating and sustaining audiences that are engaged and profitable for publishers (or content creators).

The best of editors take the pulse of the audience and then balance audience needs/wants by curating content [selecting and presenting content from all sources to best meet audience needs].

The first step is to create a clear and current definition of the primary audience segments served by your organization or brand. It is important to determine if the audience served in print and online are the same or if not, how they differ in terms of their interests, etc.

Then attempt to document the anticipated needs of the primary audience segments. Examples of reader needs can include: inspiration (success), news, community, how to information, education, sourcing, and product reviews. This includes identifying the interests, technical skills, and special issues for each segment. There will be some golden threads throughout…content that is valued by all segments. And there will be content that is specific or of interest to only certain segments.

This exercise helps prioritize key topics, issues, themes and content gaps to bridge and to fill. Be mindful that this is a strategic content planning tool that once created, should be reviewed each year and/or if a dramatic change occurs with your audience composition.

Here are a few publishers that, in my mind, do an outstanding job with content planning that serves their audience: Taunton Press, Consumer Reports, National Geographic, Martha Stewart Living and Chemical Week.