Comments on: Defining Your Audience

By: Get Focused In Your Market Niche | BizAdvice.org

Get Focused In Your Market Niche | BizAdvice.org — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:35:59 +0000

[...] just read an interesting article at HyperlocalBlogger.com on the subject of defining your audience. How you define your audience will ultimately determine how they will define you and the value of [...]

By: John Hawbaker

John Hawbaker — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:16:51 +0000

Hi TR. I’m not a fan of over-thinking or over-planning, either. I agree that getting started, and being flexible to experiment and change, is crucial, but not all planning is over-thinking. Our site has certainly evolved over the almost two years since we launched, and in ways we couldn’t have predicted in the beginning. I think having these ideas in mind as you get started would help guide you.

Lindsay, I think that’s another interesting way to look at branding (it’s more than a logo!) for a new blog. I have friends who run a Knoxville, Tenn., website called Knoxify which focuses on the positive aspects of their city. That focus was a conscious decision and it has helped them build a loyal following as well.

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:29:07 +0000

This is an interesting discussion. I like the idea behind the post – but I am not sure if it should be define your audience or define the scope of your blog. When we started IheartPGH – we didn’t think much of it – I think it has become so popular is because we have been consistent with content that is positive. While there are plenty of things to offer commentary on or rant about – we have purposely steered clear of that because it doesn’t fit with the scope of the blog. The audience is much more diverse than I would have ever imagined. Many readers follow from outside of Pittsburgh because they are interested in the city as they used to live here -that is an audience I would not have imagined.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:45:42 +0000

Well, I think it’s a different situation for different people/sites/blogs. I did an old post about 5 types of hyperlocal bloggers –

http://www.hyperlocalblogger.com/5-types-of-hyperlocal-bloggers/

If you’re doing or starting a primary news site, you want a general audience and yeah — just doing it is great advice (although I’m a big believer in putting together a plan).

But if you’re doing a local blog/site about your town’s nightlife, or the political scene … or if, like me, your local blogs are primarily business tools, you definitely want to figure out who you want your audience to be and proceed accordingly.

By: TR

TR — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:20:22 +0000

Maybe if you’re writing for a sliver of an already well-covered city. But I am not a fan of overthinking things before you launch.

I have met and heard from and talked with way too many people who dither themselves into inaction because they’re worried they don’t have a meticulous business plan, they don’t have a specific editorial mission, blah blah blah. If there is something you think is not being covered and you want to cover it – OR if you think it’s not being covered the right way – JUST.DO.IT. I cannot say this enough. A million times over.

We were the “accidental news site” – though I’ve been in news since I was a teenager, I started our site with no intention/expectation it would be what it has become. It just evolved that way, through us listening to the people who found us and started communicating with us, and observing/covering our community. Not to say that having a plan is BAD – but don’t let yourself be scared off by thinking yours is inadequate or maybe wrong. You WILL evolve. What you do will likely change – and that’s a GOOD thing.

Our coverage continues to evolve, even though we are far-ranging generalists doing our best to cover multiple categories of news for a “neighborhood” that is actually the size of a small city (70,000 or so people). But the one thing that will kill you before you start is if you talk your idea to death. JUST GET YOUR SITE GOING. Just sayin’ – TR

By: Defining your audience. « Locally Speaking

Defining your audience. « Locally Speaking — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:30:02 +0000

[...] Defining Your Audience : HyperlocalBlogger. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)HYPE? or HyperlocalThe Roman philosopher Seneca is credited with sayi [...]