What does the audience know and what don’t they know?

How to create content that engages your target audience? One of the first things I always consider is what the target audience already knows, and what don't they know. It sounds really basic, but in my experience, it's often overlooked or misunderstood.

Some advertisers simply want to communicate their key discussion points. Things like their brand values, their new product, etc. Sure, the target audience may not know those things, but that’s missing the point.

Engaging content needs to inform or entertain the target audience, and whether this has been achieved will be determined by the target audience themselves. And telling the audience what they already know is a surefire way to lose their interest.

Advertisers and content creators need to imagine themselves in the place of the target audience, get insights into what they are really interested in, and create content that informs and/or entertains the target audience, and achieves this authentically.

For anyone struggling with this, one of the best tips I’d suggest is speaking with your target audience. Test your ideas and be ready to change your perspective. Qualitative research will get far greater insights than a simple survey. Then when creating content, prioritise satisfying the interests of your target audience above delivering your marketing message. Only once you have their interest and attention will you get brand lift.

There are plenty of other ways to inform your content strategy but understanding what your audience already knows and doesn’t know is the cornerstone of creating engaging content. #content marketing