A Freelance Writer’s Guide to Demographics and Psychographics

An understanding of demographics and psychographics is a vital tool in writing engaging content. But what do we mean by demographics and psychographics? Pick one of our previous posts at random and chances are we’ve advised you to “know your audience” – the two technical-sounding terms in the title of this post are essentially how you do just that.

In this guide, we’ll explore the terms demographics and psychographics and show you how you can gather information and use it to improve the effectiveness of your content.

First, however, it’s necessary to define another technical term: segmentation.

What Is Audience Segmentation?

Audience segmentation is the process of dividing a broad audience into smaller, more specific groups based on various characteristics.

There are different types of audience segmentation, and the main two bring us back to the subject of this post:

• Demographic segmentation focuses on measurable, factual data such as age, gender, and income.
• Psychographic segmentation deals with attitudes, values, and lifestyle choices.

Why Is Audience Segmentation Important?

Audience segmentation is important because it allows you to write content that connects with your readers.

Here are some of the key benefits of audience segmentation for you and the brands and businesses you write for:

• Personalized messaging: Content tailored to a specific audience segment feels more personal and relevant. When you understand who you’re writing for, you can address their specific needs and concerns.
• Increased engagement: When your readers feel that a piece of content is speaking directly to them, they’re more likely to engage with it.
• Improved conversion rates: Targeted content that engages your readers by addressing their specific needs can lead to higher conversion rates, whether that’s from signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or using a service.
• Efficient use of resources: By focusing on the most relevant audience segments, your client can make the best use of their time and resources, which includes your content creation. The more efficiently you can use your resources, the better your profit will be.

Now let’s take a closer look at those two main types of audience segmentation.

What Is Demographic Segmentation?

Demographic segmentation, as we mentioned above, involves dividing an audience based on measurable, factual characteristics. As a writer, knowing these basic facts about your audience can help you frame your language, tone, and overall message to ensure it appeals to the right group of people.

Here are the main categories of demographics:

• Age: Different age groups have different needs and preferences. Content for a teenager, for example, will differ greatly from content aimed at someone in their 60s.
• Gender: Gender-specific content can address the particular needs of men, women, or non-binary individuals.
• Income: Income influences purchasing power, so content targeting higher-income individuals might focus on luxury, while lower-income groups may be more concerned with cost-effectiveness.
• Education: Education impacts the complexity of language used, with more educated audiences likely appreciating more detailed or technical content.
• Occupation: Job roles and industries can dictate the kind of information your audience needs, whether it’s B2B (meaning business-to-business) technical content or tips applicable to a broader range of occupations – freelancers, for example.

What Is Psychographic Segmentation?

While demographic data tells you who your audience members are, psychographic segmentation goes deeper into understanding why they behave the way they do. Gathering this data enables a brand or business, through your writing, to connect with its audience on a more personal level.

Psychographics focuses on aspects such as these:

• Values: What does your audience care about? Sustainability, personal development, or financial security are common key values.
• Motivations and desires: What drives your audience? Understanding their goals – whether it’s pursuing self-improvement, saving money, or finding new experiences – can inform your message.
• Lifestyle: Are your readers fitness enthusiasts, frequent travelers, or homebodies? Their lifestyles will affect the products or services they’re interested in.
• Interests and hobbies: Knowing what your audience enjoys doing in their free time can help you write content they’re more likely to want to read.
• Personality traits: Some audiences might prefer humorous content, while others respond better to a serious, professional tone.

How to Gather Audience Data

It’s one thing to know the kinds of data you need, but how do you get it? Many clients will provide this information in their content brief. If it’s not there – or if you’re writing for your own business – then follow these tips:

Ask Your Client

Many companies will already have done the heavy lifting when it comes to understanding their target market, for the reasons we set out above. Always ask your client for their audience profiles or data if those are not provided in the brief; that way, you’ll save yourself time and effort and know you’re working from the same information.

Review Analytics

Website and social media analytics can provide valuable insights into audience demographics – primarily age, gender, and location – and psychographics – particularly interests, lifestyle, and online behavior. Tools such as Google Analytics and Facebook Insights are useful resources for this.

Conduct Surveys

If you’re writing for your own business or working with a brand, old-fashioned surveys can be an excellent way to gather both demographic and psychographic data. You can ask customers directly about their preferences, values, and interests.

How to Use Audience Data

Once you’ve gathered your demographic and psychographic data, the next step is to use it effectively in your writing.

To do this, follow these tips:

Tailor Your Tone and Style

If you’re writing for a younger audience, a casual tone and recent pop culture references might be more appropriate. For an older or more professional audience, you may want to opt for a more formal style.

Address Audience Pain Points

If you know what challenges or frustrations your audience faces, you can create content that offers solutions. For example, if your audience values convenience, highlight time-saving tips or product benefits.

Align with Audience Values

Your audience is likely your audience because of shared values. It makes sense, therefore, to ensure that those values are reflected in the content you write. If, for example, your audience cares deeply about sustainability, make sure to highlight eco-friendly practices or products.

Create Relevant CTAs

For a CTA (meaning call to action) to work, it needs to match the needs or desires of your audience. For a luxury-focused group, therefore, you could highlight exclusivity or premium features to persuade them to take the next step.

Use Targeted Examples

Incorporating examples that reflect your audience’s age range, interests, or location helps make your content more relatable. For example, if your audience is primarily based in the US, a reference to Joe Root becoming England’s highest-scoring test cricketer of all time would probably mean nothing. If, however, you’ve been engaged to write for a client based in Yorkshire (his home county), then you could be on to a winner!

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Remember – and we’ll continue to say it – the better you understand your audience, the more effective your content will be. Demographics and psychographics, far from being just fancy terms, are essential pieces of information for achieving that end; understanding them will help you become a successful freelance writer.

Whether you’re just starting out or considering expanding your skills, we have a couple of courses that will help you with your freelance writing career: Becoming A Freelance Writer and Becoming A Copywriter. If you’re not sure which one is for you, you can try a couple of lessons – of both, if you want – for free!

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