Lesson 1 – Course Overview, Defining a Target Audience, Understanding Blog Posts – Minnesota's Real World Website Classes & Mentorship

Start With Who You’re Talking To — Not What You’re Posting

Before we design anything, post anything, or even think about going viral, we need to take a step back and ask a simple question:

Who is this for?

This lesson isn’t just about creating content. It’s about creating content that actually connects. And connection starts with understanding your audience.

What This Lesson Is Really About

Over the next several weeks, you’ll be building your own social media campaign around a brand. That brand could be:

Something you create
A real business
A personal idea
A reimagined version of something that already exists

But regardless of what you choose, everything we do comes back to three core ideas:

Understanding people
Communicating clearly
Creating content with intention

This lesson is not about random posting.
It’s about strategic storytelling.

What Is a Target Audience?

A target audience is the specific group of people you are trying to reach with your content, message, or brand.

It’s not “everyone.”
It’s not “people who might be interested.”

It’s a clearly defined group with shared traits, behaviors, and needs.

These traits can include:

Age, gender, income, or life stage
Interests, values, and lifestyle
Location
Buying behavior
Needs, challenges, or goals
How they prefer to consume content

The more clearly you define your audience, the easier everything else becomes.

Why Defining Your Audience Matters

If you don’t know who you’re talking to, your content becomes generic—and generic content gets ignored.

When you define your audience, you can:

Create more relevant content
Improve engagement
Use your time and budget more efficiently
Build stronger brand loyalty
Speak in a tone that actually resonates

Instead of guessing, you’re creating with purpose.

Think of it this way:

Good content speaks.
Great content speaks to someone specific.

A Simple Way to Think About It

Instead of saying:
“My brand is for everyone”

Try:
“My brand is for ______ who struggle with ______ and want ______.”

Example:
“My brand is for college students who want affordable, stylish apparel that feels personal.”

Now your content has direction.

Understanding Content Through the Funnel (TOFU / MOFU / BOFU)

Not all content serves the same purpose. Some content introduces your brand, some builds trust, and some drives action.

You may hear this described as:

TOFU (Top of Funnel) – Awareness (memes, viral content, introductions)
MOFU (Middle of Funnel) – Consideration (education, behind-the-scenes, value)
BOFU (Bottom of Funnel) – Decision (testimonials, promotions, calls to action)

Helpful resource:
https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/ToFu-MoFu-and-BoFu

This framework helps you avoid posting only one type of content and instead build a balanced strategy.

What Is a Blog Post (and Why It Still Matters)

Even in a world of short-form content, blog-style thinking is still incredibly important.

A blog post is simply:

Structured
Intentional
Written with a clear audience in mind
Designed to inform, teach, or communicate something specific

Why does this matter for social media?

Because strong social content follows the same principles:

Clear message
Defined audience
Intentional structure
Purpose behind the content

Whether it’s a caption, a video, or a full article—you’re telling a story.

Helpful Tools to Get Started

If you’re unsure how to define your audience, start by answering these questions:

Who is your content for?
How old are they or what stage of life are they in?
Where are they located?
What are they interested in?
What problems or challenges do they have?
What would they find helpful, entertaining, or valuable?
What type of content do they usually consume (videos, memes, posts, etc.)?
Where do they spend their time online?
What would make them stop scrolling?
Why would they care about your brand?

Answering these will give you a much clearer picture of who you’re creating for and help guide all of your content moving forward.

This will help you think through:

Who your audience is
What they care about
What they need
How your brand fits into their world

Additional Content Ideas to Explore

To deepen understanding, we can also think about:

1. Niche vs Broad Audiences
Trying to reach “everyone” usually leads to content that connects with no one. Niche audiences, on the other hand, allow you to be specific, relatable, and intentional. When your message is tailored to a clearly defined group, it feels more personal and relevant, which increases engagement and trust. Smaller audiences often outperform broader ones because they see themselves in the content and are more likely to respond, share, and stay connected over time.

2. Personal Brands vs Business Brands
Personal brands are built around an individual’s personality, experiences, and voice, while business brands are built around products, services, or a larger mission. This changes how you define your audience. A personal brand audience often connects through relatability and storytelling, while a business brand audience connects through value, solutions, and consistency. Understanding which type of brand you’re building helps shape how you communicate and what your audience expects from you.

3. Platform-Audience Alignment
Not every audience spends time in the same place. Different platforms attract different types of users, behaviors, and content expectations. For example, a younger audience might be more active on TikTok, while a professional audience may be more engaged on LinkedIn. Choosing the right platform isn’t just about preference—it’s about meeting your audience where they already are and delivering content in a format they’re used to consuming.

4. Tone & Voice
Your tone and voice should reflect both your brand and your audience. A brand targeting college students might use humor, slang, and a casual tone, while a brand targeting professionals may lean more structured and polished. The way you say something is just as important as what you say. When your tone aligns with your audience’s expectations, your content feels natural and authentic instead of forced or out of place.

5. Content That Misses the Audience
Content can fail even if it looks good—simply because it doesn’t connect with the intended audience. This might happen when the message is too generic, the tone is off, or the content doesn’t address the audience’s interests or needs. For example, a highly polished, corporate-style post may fall flat with a younger audience looking for authenticity. Recognizing when content misses the mark helps you adjust and create more effective, audience-focused content moving forward.

Final Takeaway

Before you create content, define who it’s for.

Everything else—your visuals, captions, platform, and strategy—comes from that decision.

If you get this right, content becomes easier.
If you skip this step, everything feels random.

Next up: turning your audience into actual content ideas.

Discussion 1 – HTC Podcast “Graphic Design Talk” Topics

*Submit Discussion into D2L

As we continue building our class podcast, it’s time to start planning upcoming topics. Each student will choose one topic to speak about for at least 60 seconds.

To keep things interesting, no two students can choose the same topic. Once a topic is claimed, you’ll need to come up with something different or a unique angle.

Post your selected topic in the discussion. This will act as your “claim” so others can see what’s already taken.

Topic ideas to get you started:

A class you’ve taken or are currently taking
A specific project you worked on
Your first day or first experience at the school
An instructor who made an impact on you
A degree or program you would recommend
A memorable story or experience you’ve had at the school

Our goal is to create content that would encourage someone new to consider joining the program. Think about what stood out to you and how you would describe that experience to someone who knows nothing about the school.

Keep it positive, specific, and engaging.

Assignment 1A – Defining a Target Audience & Writing a Blog Post

*Submit Assignment into D2L

Now that you’ve started thinking about your brand, it’s time to take the first step in creating meaningful content: defining your audience and writing a blog post with purpose.

Step 1 – Define Your Target Audience

Start by identifying who you are creating content for.

Think beyond general ideas and be specific. Your audience should be clearly defined so your content feels intentional and relevant.

Include at least 3 identifying characteristics, such as:

Interests (gamers, athletes, artists, etc.)
Location (state, city, region)
Age range or life stage

Example:
Gamers, ages 18–25, located in the Midwest

Also consider:

What does your audience care about?
What problems or needs do they have?
What type of content would they actually enjoy?

Helpful resource for ideas:
https://share.zight.com/4guRNNWd

Step 2 – Write a Blog Post

Now that you know who you’re writing for, choose a topic that connects to your brand and would be interesting or valuable to your audience.

Your blog post should include:

A catchy headline
A minimum of 3 paragraphs
At least 1 image that supports your content

Focus on creating something that is:

Relevant to your brand
Helpful, interesting, or entertaining
Written with your audience in mind

Think about what someone in your target audience would actually want to read—not just what you want to say.

Looking for topic ideas?
https://coschedule.com/blog/creative-blog-post-ideas-and-topics

Submission

Submit your completed work into D2L when finished. Be prepared to share and discuss your blog post in class.

This assignment sets the foundation for everything we’ll build moving forward—clear audience, clear message, and intentional content.

Assignment 1B – Graphic Design Talk Class Podcast Audio Recording (1-3 Minutes)

As we get closer to launching our pre-recorded class podcast, it’s time to record your individual audio segment!

Each episode will begin with a short introduction from me, and then your recordings will be woven into the episode. This is your chance to share your experience and perspective as part of the program.

Your Task

Record a 1–3 minute audio segment (minimum 60 seconds, maximum 5 minutes) where you introduce yourself and share something meaningful about your experience.

Start your recording with a quick introduction, similar to how we introduced ourselves in class.

Getting Started (Intro Ideas)

You can begin however you’d like, but here are a few ideas to help:

“Hi! My name is…”
“My name is ___, and I’ve been here for ___ semesters. Today I want to share…”
“You’re listening to Graphic Design Talk. My name is…”
“You wouldn’t believe what we did in ___ class…”
“My favorite part about this program is…”

A strong opening helps grab attention—feel free to be creative.

What to Talk About

Choose something that would be interesting or helpful to someone considering the program:

A class you’ve taken
A project you worked on
An instructor who made an impact
A skill you’ve developed
A personal story or experience
How the program has helped you so far

Think about what would make someone say, “That sounds awesome—I want to be part of that.”

Recording Tips

Find a quiet space (doors closed, minimal background noise)
Speak clearly and at a steady pace (slower is usually better)
Try multiple takes if needed—it’s completely normal
Consider writing out or outlining what you want to say
Keep your energy up—make it engaging and enjoyable to listen to

Most importantly: don’t overthink your voice. Everyone feels that way at first, and it’s completely normal.

Recording Options

You can use whatever method works best for you—keep it simple and focus on getting a clear, clean recording.

Some easy options include:

Recording a voice memo on your phone
Using your laptop’s built-in microphone with a simple audio recorder
Recording a video of yourself speaking and then extracting the audio
Using free recording apps or software you’re already familiar with

The most important thing is clear audio and minimal background noise. Don’t worry about having the “perfect” setup—just find a quiet space and record a few takes until you’re happy with it.

Submission

Export your audio file to your computer
Upload it into D2L
If you record multiple versions, feel free to submit more than one—I can help choose the best one

Do not add background music or sound effects. I’ll handle all editing and final production.

Final Note

Keep it authentic, keep it positive, and have fun with it.

Your voice will help represent the program and give future students a glimpse into what it’s like. This is your opportunity to share something memorable!

I’ll take care of making everything sound polished on the final podcast.

Let me know if you have any questions!