Understanding Audiences
We need to understand our audiences so we can cater to their needs.
Understand the Website User's Frame of Mind
Personas:
Personas are fictional representations of website audiences. They help us to keep our site users in mind and guide the discussion around content creation.
The Idea:
Personas help guide us in the right general direction. They are not law and they are not perfect, but they are a representative we can rely on to help gut check decisions. They help put us in the mindset of our target audiences.
How to Create Personas:
- Think about your typical website user.
- Who are they?
- How old are they?
- What are their wants, needs, fears, and goals?
- Dream up a character to represent each of your audiences. Give each character a name.
- Decide how old your character is, where they live, what they do, and what their interests are.
- For each character, think through and articulate their wants, needs, fears, and goals.
- Adapt the mindset of the character you created to inform the type of content you provide.
- For example, if a fear is not getting a job after graduation, address career opportunities.
How Do We Put Ourselves in the End-user's Shoes?
Questions to Consider When Creating Personas, and When Crafting or Reviewing Content:
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What Persona Am I Writing For?
- See above for how to create a persona.
- Put pen to paper and write down each of your personas to refer to as you create content.
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What is this Site Visitor's Current Mindset or Scenario?
- Why is this site visitor looking at your website?
- Be sure to answer their most pressing questions.
- What is this site visitor's primary motivation?
- Provide content that addresses their goals.
- Why is this site visitor looking at your website?
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Who or What Influences Their Decisions?
- Other university websites? Third-party ranking websites?
- If so, review other websites to see what messages they send. Address the same issues, answer anything that's left out, correct inaccurate representations.
- Parents, family, friends, or teachers? Business associates or competitors?
- If so, write to those audiences as a secondary audience. Be sure to address the concerns of influencers.
- Other university websites? Third-party ranking websites?
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What Goals Does this Site Visitor Have?
- Whatever their goals may be, include information about how your offering can help them reach their goals.
- Want to attend school close to home, but not too close?
- Talk about location, talk about value, talk about the Mankato area.
- Want to go back to school to complete a degree as a working adult?
- Talk about flexibility, multiple locations, and online options.
- Want to find the best school for son or daughter without breaking the bank?
- Talk about cost and value.
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What Information Does this Site Visitor Need in Order to Reach Their Goals?
- What fears does this site visitor have?
- Do they fear not getting a job after graduation?
- Is the cost of education a pain point?
- How can we address their fears?
- What fears does this site visitor have?