Learn to Start a Blog
Blogging Basics: A Ridiculously Simple Way to Find Your Target Audience For Your Blog
You’ve been reading and hearing about it all over –
Who is your target audience?
That’s right. Who is your blog serving? If you’re a new blogger you may not have even fully thought about this critical question.
You’re probably still hooked on finding your niche, eh? I’m not saying that’s bad; that will help you figure out who your target audience is.
What I am saying is if you don’t know who your target audience is, it will be very hard to grow your blog and even monetize your blog. Knowing who reads your posts can help a new blogger out so much. But, before we get into that, let’s talk about why it’s so important in the first place.
But, wait. Do you even have a blog yet?
If you’re reading this and you don’t have a blog, but want to start one, I have an easy step-by-step tutorial on how to start a blog using SiteGround!
What’s So Important About Your Target Audience Anyways?
A lot of bloggers think that the key to growing their blog is networking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in that camp also! But, if you’re a new blogger or if you’re an introvert it might be hard to connect with other bloggers in your industry. Heck, you might not even know how to!
But, a much easier way to grow your blog is to focus on your target audience. These are the people that actually come to your blog, read your posts, comment on them and share your post with their friends.
You want brand new people to come to your blog and tell you this:
find-target-audience
When this happens you know you’ve found your target audience.
So, what’s so important about these people, AKA, your target audience?
1. They Are Loyal
When your blog speaks to your readers something magical happens. You start generating comments on your blog and on Facebook. Other bloggers in your industry reach out to you and want to network with you. Your readers start to link to your site on their posts wanting to tell their audience about you.
They’re the first to grab your latest content upgrade and they are one of the firsts to read your email or read your latest blog post.
In effect, they are your loyal audience.
2. They Help You Build Your Tribe
I’m sure you’ve also been hearing about building your tribe. When I first started blogging as a freelance writer, I had no clue what all this “tribe” talk was about. I thought it was coming from one blogger who just loved that term and used it all the time.
It wasn’t until years later that it dawned on me that this blogger and others were talking about their target audience. Collectively, they are your tribe and they will help you grow your blog.
Many bloggers use their Facebook group as a way to build their tribe, or their email list. Personally, I try my hardest to provide value to my email list. Whether it’s a new tool or mockup photos that I’ve found online or it’s just some awesome blogging tips to optimize your blog, I want my subscribers – my tribe of mama peeps – to know that I’m on your side and I want to help all of y’all kick ass!
3. You Can Successfully Market to Them
Okay.
Now, we are getting to the nitty gritty.
I’m sure you’ve heard or you know deep down that the main reason bloggers build up their email list or have thousands of Facebook groupies is to market to them.
Whether it’s a free webinar or a masterclass or even a new product, bloggers who have built a base of loyal and raving fans can profit from their audience.
Look at Melyssa Griffin. She has 80,000 people on her email list and thousands of people have taken her courses and even more are in her Facebook group. People LOVE her and each month her income reports skyrocket. One relies on the other.
What Does an Audience Help You With?
So, besides help you generate income, an audience helps you do so much more for your blog. For starters, they help you get your name out there.
I started my blog around six months ago and the only people that knew were my husband and my freelance writing email subscribers.
Once people found out about me and I gave them what they wanted, my blog started growing. New traffic was coming in and I was attracting a new set of people that would later become my target audience.
Here are three other ways your audience helps you out in your blogging.
1. They Help You Find the Right Blog Topics
Coming up with your next blog topic can be so dang difficult, yo! Sometimes I stare at the screen and I’m like – what the heck do I write about this week?
Well, you know what, all you have to do is look at your audience to find your next blog topic. Look at their comments, read their blog posts, see what they ask in Facebook.
My target audience is moms who want to become mompreneurs. They can be stay at home moms, working moms or mommy bloggers.
Knowing this can help me generate blogging topics for them, business topics for them and productivity topics for them.
2. They Help Create the Right Products
I bet you want to eventually create a product, right? An eBook, course, or maybe some awesome fuzzy socks! Whatever it is, oftentimes your audience can help you figure out what your next or first product will be.
For example, I can look on my blog and see that the posts with the highest comments are either about blog traffic and growth or about email marketing.
This tells me that my audience is at the very beginning stages of being a mompreneur. They need the most help with getting their traffic up, their email list growing before they even think about creating something for their audience.
When you look at your blog that way, you can create a plan to help you launch your products. A lot of bloggers recommend to wait until you generate at least 1,000 subscribers before you launch your first product.
I totally agree. If you rush too soon, you may not be hitting the mark with your course or eBook.
3. They Help You Establish Your Brand
When I first started Twins Mommy, my brand was much different. Here’s a sample of one of my first blog images:
450x750-time-saving-sick
My images were a little more feminine and my font was different. It took a couple of posts before I changed my blog image look and found some awesome free stock photos for my blog.
This was also the time when I switched my target audience from work at home moms to moms who want to become a mompreneur.
When this happened, my brand followed too. I wanted to be more hip and more up-to-date to what other mommy bloggers and influencers are doing.
I wasn’t copying anyone, but I was taking in their brand presence and seeing how I can tweak mine to represent my target audience.
My Easy Way to Find Your Target Audience
Okay, so what if you really don’t know who your target audience is? You want to start a blog and you’ve narrowed down your niche. But, now you have to attract the right reader.
You don’t want to be too broad so you have to really think hard about what type of reader you want to speak to.
Well, for me, the easiest way to figure that out is…..
To look at yourself!
I know! Super simple eh?
Just think about it; Allison of Wonderlass targets introverts that want to have a bangin’ blogging business. Whaddaya know? She’s an introvert with a bangin’ blogging business.
Monica Froese of Redefining Mom is a busy mom trying to balance a blog + biz and family. Well, her eBook will be for busy moms trying to launch their online business.
So, you see, you just have to look at yourself to find your target audience.
Okay, so now that you know who they are, where do you seek them out? Here are three places I often look when I want to learn more about my target audience.
1. Read Your Comments
Read every comment that is on your blog. Screenshot comments with questions or ones that speak about a problem and create a swipe file. This can help you in the future to find a product to help solve your target audience’s problem.
Also read other people’s comments. Visit blogs in your niche and read their comments.
2. Join Relevant Facebook Groups
There is a wealth of insight in Facebook groups. These are awesome because most of the threads are problem related. Someone posts a question that they need help with. This also helps you figure out what your target audience is craving and what they are lacking.
If you don’t know where to find these groups, be sure to grab my Facebook and Pinterest promo list with over 60+ groups to join.
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3. Follow People Like Yourself
Do you have a Twitter and Pinterest account? Use these social media platforms to follow others that are similar to you.
twitter-follower
I love collaborating and networking with other mompreneurs and mompreneurs in the making. Sure, many of these mamas have the same target audience (or close to the same target audience) as I do, but there’s enough for all of us and each of us brings a new perspective to our brand, blog and business.
Get Your Blog On Mama!
Finding your tribe of loyal readers isn’t too hard once you take a good hard look at yourself. Usually our passions is what drives our creativity. So, if you’re passionate about homegrown food and natural products, I bet you’re blogging about that and I bet your target audience also feels the same way.
I hope you’re enjoying my Blogging Basics series! Be on the lookout for more topics to help the newbie blogger navigate this beast we call blogging!
Over to you – who is your target audience?
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About The Author
I'm Elna, wife to my college sweetheart and mother to my school-aged twins. Together we are the parent entrepreneurs. I'm also a professional blogger and freelance writer. I help mom bloggers make money blogging so they can stay home with their little ones too! Come join me in the Mom to Mompreneur Facebook group!
Reader Interactions
Comments
cassie
October 17, 2018 at 1:05 pm
Elna, thanks for always being the go-to information resource for blogging. I’ve been a mom blogger for almost a year now and struggled with even getting off the ground, thanks to your RSB for traffic course and other courses I’ve taken blogging has reached new levels for me. However, I find myself at a standstill with content creation for my niche. Any suggestions for getting out of a content creation block? Thanks !
Cassie @delightful motherhood
Reply to cassie
Elna
October 17, 2018 at 2:23 pm
Hey Cassie!
Thanks so much for your warm compliment. I’m seriously humbled by it all! I’m so glad Ready Set Blog for Traffic is helping reach your blogging goals! As for creating content, I’ve got your back: https://twinsmommy.com/course/create-content-for-blog-traffic/
Reply to Elna
cassie
October 25, 2018 at 10:56 am
Sounds great ! I will buy the course when i can and jump on it!
Reply to cassie
Elna
October 26, 2018 at 1:04 pm
Thanks so much!
Reply to Elna
Susan
October 14, 2018 at 1:26 pm
I’m so glad I came across this on Pinterest! I’m an aspiring blogger in the tiny living to financial freedom space (that’s a mouthful!) and your article really helped to bring it all into focus for me. Thank you!
Reply to Susan
Elna
October 15, 2018 at 10:16 am
Hi Susan!
I’m so happy to hear this! Breaking blogging down is my thing! Thanks for stopping by!
Reply to Elna
Kelsey
September 9, 2018 at 10:46 pm
Really needed this! It is hard trying to find my audience im a diy, craft and mommy blogger but this post really helped!!! Im so glad to have come across this post!!
Reply to Kelsey
Elna
September 10, 2018 at 10:40 am
Hey Kelsey!
Wow! That’s awesome! So glad I gave you direction to figuring out your blog niche as a new blogger!
Reply to Elna
Vidya | AWritersSafari
June 8, 2018 at 2:20 am
Thanks Elna. Lovely post as usual. I recently understood the difference between audience and target audience. Now, am really interested and will be following your tips for my own biz.
Reply to Vidya
Trisha ryan
July 17, 2017 at 11:45 pm
Hi..I am like,the newborn of the blogging world ..and I have been struggling with my online digital stamp and coloring pages shops. Do you have a very beginner post or site for me? I have a wix website and,blog and I am having a hard time finding other bloggers and,even,how to follow them . any advice would be appreciated ..all your help so far is amazing !
Reply to Trisha
Elna
July 18, 2017 at 9:26 am
Hi Trisha!
I work with WordPress and am not familiar with Wix. But, I’m sure you can sell on that platform. I use Pinterest to market my blog and make sales! Are you on Pinterest?
Reply to Elna
Miss Lady
July 15, 2017 at 3:45 pm
I stumbled across your post by doing a Google Search. I just wanted to say your post has been helpful and very revealing. I am struggling to determine my target audience. I chose “Women” but I keep second guessing myself. I suffer from being indecisive (hear me, as if it was a disease.. haha!). I think because I have so many ideas I am complicating the matter and prolonging the process. I still haven’t wrote my first post yet.
Reply to Miss
Elna
July 15, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Hi!
Thanks for stopping by! Yes, finding your niche can be a bit had. “Women” is a bit broad. Think about the type of woman you want to speak to: new moms, old women, millennial women, working moms, moms with older kids etc..
Once you figure that out you can write posts for them!
Reply to Elna
Miss Lady
July 15, 2017 at 5:05 pm
Hi Elna!
I truly appreciate you taking your time to respond. The reason I picked “Women” is because the bases of my blog is that I Am Just Like You. I Am Every Woman. It’s geared towards motivation and Life Reflections. Could that be my “niche?”
Thanks again.
Reply to Miss
Elna
July 16, 2017 at 12:01 am
Hey,
Good luck! Sure try that niche!
Reply to Elna
Miss Lady
July 16, 2017 at 12:04 am
I took the plunge. My blog is live. Thanks again for your help!
Tania
March 30, 2017 at 4:39 pm
Good day Elna!
I am SUPER stoked to have stumbled upon your blog; turns out it is REALLY handy! All your freebies are absolutely incredible! I look forward to being able to exchange with you and, possibly, becoming friends!
I am a 30-year-old mommy of 4 (Okay, okay, one is a step-daughter (and goddaughter) one is a 3-year-old little princess, and the two others are 7-year-old twins! (I’m part of your ”first-time-mother-of-twins” club!) so I didn’t just pop them out like kittens! Ha! =)
I am a beginner blogger talking about work-from-home opportunities and tips and tricks on balancing work and family life. I hope you are willing to befriend me and send me an email at tania-martinvilleneuve@outlook.com!
I will be sure to keep an eye on my inbox, waiting for a reply!
Hope to talk to you real soon!
Tania aka MoolahMakingMama
Reply to Tania
Trisha ryan
July 17, 2017 at 11:47 pm
I’m in the same,boat !!! Its nice,to know I am not alone !
Reply to Trisha
Elna
March 30, 2017 at 8:46 pm
Hey Tania!
Yes I did get your email and thanks so much. Of course I will be e-friends with you Email me anytime…
Reply to Elna
Emily
November 5, 2016 at 4:41 pm
Thanks for this post!
I get much better responses to my posts when I write on my passions and strongest opinions. I’m fascinated by introversion, personalities, and psychology, particularly the Myers-Briggs Type Index, and those are by far my most popular posts.
Reply to Emily
Elna
November 6, 2016 at 2:12 pm
Hey Emily!
You’re welcome I’m glad you are writing about your passions and finding an audience for your blog!
Reply to Elna
Kaitlyn
November 1, 2016 at 11:32 am
Thanks for laying out so much information about target audiences! I really like how you pointed out their importance and why they help you. Focusing on your target audience can really help your blog/business grow.
Reply to Kaitlyn
Elna
November 1, 2016 at 1:08 pm
Kaitlyn,
You’re welcome so much! Yes, when you have a new blog you need to know your audience so you can write for them and help them! Good luck!
Reply to Elna
June
October 1, 2016 at 7:18 pm
Hi Elna thanks for this. I think the advice of looking at ourselves is brilliant! I need to revamp my blog and brand. By the way what theme are you using? I really like the look of your blog. You don’t have the sidebar thingy but your recent posts are at the footer area(?)
Reply to June
Elna
October 1, 2016 at 9:01 pm
Hey June!
Thanks so much! Yes, it’s that easy to find your target audience eh?
As for my theme, my husband and I developed it. Well, I helped design it and my husband developed it! We are hoping to start Ink&Link website development and design soon!
Reply to Elna
Sarah | Mommy's Budget
September 28, 2016 at 2:08 am
This is my biggest issue, finding where my target audience is. My niche is personal finance. I thought about Facebook groups because I am part of a lot of frugal living and personal finance groups, but I don’t want to seem spammy if I link to a relevant blog post. It would be nice if you could post as your Facebook page on groups that way at least people could click over to your page.
Reply to Sarah
Elna
September 28, 2016 at 9:02 am
Hey Sarah,
I wouldn’t call that spammy if your FB groups have promo day. Most do so make sure to check that out! You can also create a poll in FB and ask questions to see who your target audience is. Also,is there a way to add a link to your blog on your personal FB page? Or link to your business page? When I’m interested in a particular mommy blogger I can usually find their business page via their personal one.
Good luck!
Reply to Elna
Kecia @ Online Income Mom
September 21, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Excellent ideas to find your target audience, Elna! I am targeting moms that would like to build or grow their online income, primarily through freelance writing or blogging…since that’s the two things that have created the bulk of my income!
Reply to Kecia
Elna
September 22, 2016 at 3:37 pm
Hey Kecia!
That’s great girl. Yeah, a lot of moms want to boost their income while staying home! That’s great your blog focuses on providing freelance writing or blogging as the solution!
Reply to Elna
melbtravel
September 21, 2016 at 5:39 am
What a helpful post. It was good to know some basic easy ways to know your target audience more clearly.
Reply to melbtravel
Elna
September 22, 2016 at 3:32 pm
Hey,
Thanks so much! Happy to hear you found some great tips for your blog.
Reply to Elna
Camesha | Mama Motivator
September 20, 2016 at 3:11 pm
Your advice is spot on. That’s exactly how I figured out my audience. As I learn, I share what I’m learning and kind of take them on the journey with me.
Reply to Camesha
Elna
September 20, 2016 at 6:47 pm
Hey Camesha!
Thanks so much. Yeah, it is an easy way to find your target audience. At least for me with my two blogs. Thanks for stopping by!
Reply to Elna
Natasha @ Inspiring Single Mothers
September 20, 2016 at 1:43 pm
A really great, thorough post! I think many of us struggle with building a consistent following. I’m about to post a survey for my readers. I’m hoping to get some really great feedback as to what they need from me.
Reply to Natasha
Elna
September 20, 2016 at 6:44 pm
Hey Natasha!
That’s a great strategy to help you find your target audience! I was thinking about doing that early on, but never got around to it I guess!
Reply to Elna
Yandra
September 18, 2016 at 2:21 pm
Hi Elna,
This post is AWESOME! Before reading this I had a very unclear idea of who my target audience is. Now I’m confident that I know who my blog is geared to and I am now determined to create content with them at the forefront of my mind. Thank you so much!
Reply to Yandra
Elna
September 18, 2016 at 2:29 pm
Hey Yanda!
That’s fantastic to hear girl! So happy you have an idea now of your target audience. It can be hard, but for a lot of people, you just have to blog and then see who actually comes to your blog!
Reply to Elna
Elise // House of Brazen
September 18, 2016 at 9:19 am
Great post Elna! I’ve been studying my audience since I started my blog in Jan and I can without a doubt say they’re 95% Mothers who want to make a living from their businesses so they can spend quality time with their families or they’re young women who want to become entrepreneurs so that once they have children they’re already set financially and can have that quality time with their families.
Spending quality time with my family is my #1 priority and drive for my business. However, I am not a Mother myself and this worries me. My question to you is, can I write for Mom entrepreneurs when I’m not yet a Mother myself?
I really resist niching down and writing to these two specific types of people even though I want to because I feel like I’d be a bit of a fraud – since I’m not a Mom and all that! I feel like I relate to Mom’s so well though. I mean, eventually I want to be one, and I worked in childcare for over a decade if that helps???
But I’m just always a bit weary about it. I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts on this!
Elise xo
Reply to Elise
Elna
September 18, 2016 at 9:29 am
Hey Elise!
That’s interesting! I think if your content is speaking to your ideal audience then you’re not a fraud. It’s funny, because with me although my content is geared for the mommy blogger that wants to be a mompreneur and make money from blogging, I attract a lot of non-mother bloggers (and even men. But I think they are on my list for marketing research). They tell me in the comments or on FB that they are not a mom but they still signed up to my Mom Boss Vault resource library!
So I teeter broadening my topics, but I do have to stay true to my core audience of moms. So I have to remember to create posts that speak to only that audience like productivity hacks or parenting while blogging. I veer away from that at times and come back.
With your content, you can try that approach, but if it’s working (i.e you are generating income from course sales and affiliate marketing) I wouldn’t change it!
Reply to Elna
Ashleigh | Smart Cents Mom
September 16, 2016 at 9:04 pm
Hi Elna! I love the advice of focusing on your audience! As a new blogger and an introvert I have truly been overwhelmed with the “social” aspect of blogging. Ha! (I thought blogging would be perfect for me since I’m an introvert.) I wrote a bunch of posts before I launched my blog, but now that my site is “live” my writing focus is changing based on what has been popular from those posts. Thanks for these tips!
Reply to Ashleigh
Elna
September 16, 2016 at 9:45 pm
Hey Ashleigh,
I’m a total introvert but for some reason online has opened me up more! It’s much easier for me to network and comment on other bloggers. Now webinars are a whole new beast, but I’ve already done three and I’ve had great feedback and will continue to do more.
I love your site and actually commented on it too!
Reply to Elna
Angela Tolsma
September 16, 2016 at 6:15 pm
Oh finding relevant facebook groups has been hard but not something I’ve done enough of! Thank you for writing this all out so clearly, understanding my audience is definitely something I need to do, vs niche.
Reply to Angela
Elna
September 16, 2016 at 8:56 pm
Hey Angela!
Thank you so much for your compliment! I wasn’t sure how this type of post would resonate with other bloggers, but it seems to be a hit so far! Writing for your audience is what your blog is all about, but for a lot of us, we hit the mark on that! That’s why I find writing for myself actually helps me write for my audience because I AM my audience.
Reply to Elna
Heather
September 16, 2016 at 4:26 pm
I know a lot of “blog” people say not to write for yourself – but that is who I write for exactly! SAHM’s who are into homeschooling, homesteading, green living, but still enjoy every bit of makeup/fashion they can find – quite the niche…
Reply to Heather
Elna
September 16, 2016 at 8:54 pm
Hey Heather,
Yeah, there’s always different opinions, but I find it’s so much easier and more relatable when you can use your experience to help others that are similar to you. It makes sense that you could totally help those people eh?
Kudos to you for writing for yourself – SAHM’s rule! Glad you stay true to your heart on finding your target audience.
Reply to Elna
suzi
September 16, 2016 at 3:11 pm
I love your pin image at the top!!!
Reply to suzi
Elna
September 16, 2016 at 3:15 pm
Ha! Lol! Of course you would
Reply to Elna
Greta @ Pickles Travel blog
September 16, 2016 at 1:54 pm
Love this! Great advice- like-minded individuals and discovering your tribe truly is the trick to growing anything. They become like your own personal cheerleaders
Reply to Greta
Elna
September 16, 2016 at 3:08 pm
Hey Greta!
Thanks so much for commenting on this post! Glad you liked it. Yay! Cheerleaders are awesome eh?
Reply to Elna
Cath @ This Mama Learns
September 15, 2016 at 9:51 pm
Hey Elna Love this post. Whenever I feel a bit foggy about where my blog is heading I realize that I’ve lost touch with who my audience is.
I like your point about looking at yourself when it comes to finding your target audience. A lot of advice is over complicated when it comes to ‘creating your client avatar’. You have unique insight into one person – yourself. Why not make the most of it?
Reply to Cath
Elna
September 15, 2016 at 9:56 pm
Hey Cath!
Yeah, a lot of bloggers face that. It happened to me once I realized I was not focussing so much on helping work at home moms, but rather, those interested in profiting by working from home (i.e. blogging and product development).
Yeah, there’s a lot of stuff about your ideal client and to know everything about them like what they eat, where they work, how old they are and blah blah blah. Sure that all helps, but look at yourself. Most bloggers with courses are based on THEIR success so they naturally attract people like themselves.
Thanks for stopping by!
Reply to Elna
Jessica Maynard-Gilbert
September 15, 2016 at 5:40 pm
I really love this, really points all the reasons this is important.
PS thanks for the freebie~looking forward to finding some great groups!!
Reply to Jessica
Elna
September 15, 2016 at 7:06 pm
Hey Jessica!
Np! So happy you liked the post and it resonated with you. Good luck blogging
Reply to Elna
Becky
September 15, 2016 at 4:38 pm
Elna,
This is awesome! So helpful and in-depth.
From a marketing professional, you nailed it! Targeting is so easy and it all starts with understanding your audience.
Thanks for sharing!
Reply to Becky
Elna
September 15, 2016 at 4:47 pm
Hey Becky!
Thanks so much! So happy I nailed it! Ha..I know for many bloggers finding their target audience can be a challenge
Reply to Elna
Becky
September 15, 2016 at 5:05 pm
Yes, you’re absolutely right! And for a lot of business owners of all sizes, this seems to be a challenge.
Some of my clients really struggled with this and I was curious how they were able to stay in business for years without know their target audience.
Great read!
Reply to Becky
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About Elna
Elna
Hi! I'm Elna, a Millennial mom to twins. I blog, I create and I mom all day long! Follow me while I help moms like you make money with their blog. →
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