Welcome to Day One of the Brand Audit

We will begin by discussing your audience. These audits consist of three mini lessons that build upon each other. The first mini lesson focuses on auditing your audience.

Let's start by examining audience analytics, also known as audience insights. This involves delving into the numbers to gain a deeper understanding. Instagram is a convenient platform for this analysis. Even if you already check your audience analytics regularly, it's recommended to complete the table provided in the template as a benchmark for the year's end. If you're unsure how to access audience insights on Instagram, refer to the professional dashboard on your "no question" page. There will also be a link provided for guidance on this matter. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn't provide a year-long version of audience insights, so we'll have to rely on data from the past 90 days.

Next, we'll explore audience research, which goes beyond the numbers obtained from audience analytics. Audience research involves gathering feedback and analyzing the words of your audience. This allows you to gain insights into their preferences, needs, and interests. To truly understand your audience, you need both data and their words. Let's discuss a few types of audience analytics: demographics and behavioral data fall under audience data or insights, while psychographics are based on audience research.

Now, let's address the importance of audience research and why we conduct these audits. Understanding your audience's current preferences and habits can help determine if you need to adjust your growth strategy or content in order to reach the right people. Auditing your audience will reveal if you are already reaching the desired audience or if you need to refine your strategy to attract the right individuals. It also helps you identify the type of content you should be creating. By comparing your audience insights and research with your existing brand strategy, you can assess if the content you are producing aligns with your target audience. This analysis provides clarity on whether your current approach is effective or if adjustments are necessary.

To facilitate this process, we will use the Notion template provided. The template includes an audience audit checklist, which you can mark off as you progress. The checklist comprises three activities: analyzing your Instagram analytics, asking strategic multiple-choice questions, and conducting audience research. You are not obligated to complete all three, but it is recommended to maximize the information you gather. We will begin by analyzing your audience demographics on Instagram. If you are unsure how to access these insights, refer to the provided help document for step-by-step instructions. You will need a business or content creator account to access this information. Additionally, you can create similar tables to analyze analytics from other platforms like Facebook or TikTok, but for now, we will focus on Instagram as an example.

After examining demographic data, we will delve deeper into psychographics and behavioral data through audience research. You can customize the questions for your audience research based on your brand. The template offers examples of questions and provides space for you to take notes on the feedback received. You can post these questions on Instagram Stories, Facebook, or even use email to collect feedback. The template also includes a section for you to hold yourself accountable and jot down how you plan to facilitate this research. Remember to take notes on what you learn from your audience research to gain insights and make informed decisions.

To summarize, audience research helps you make informed decisions, tailor strategies, and improve engagement. By analyzing audience analytics, demographics, and location, you can determine if adjustments are needed in your growth strategy or content to reach the right people. Cross-referencing your findings with your existing brand strategy allows you to make necessary updates. There are various ways to conduct audience research, such as Instagram polls, email surveys, one-on-one interviews with past or ideal clients, reading book reviews on Amazon, or browsing threads on platforms like Reddit or Quora.

Tomorrow, we will continue the audit by examining your content. See you then!