As marketers, we all know that “Content is King,” and that storytelling is the new key to marketing. But, in our quest to produce an acceptable amount of content and tell good stories, we often forget that we have an audience listening to us-- and what they think about those stories is the very thing that should be shaping content. 

So do you know your audience?

When I ask that I don’t mean, “Can you provide me with the names and geographical locations of people who have purchased your products or services?” I mean, “Do you know your audience like you know your Facebook friends?”

Do you know what their interests are? Do you know the websites they like to visit? Do you know the problems they’re facing and how your products provide solutions? Do you know what’s important to them? 

Knowing your audience is the first step to creating remarkable content that tells the kind of stories that generate real digital ROI.  If you aren’t sure that you’re spinning the right yarns, take a look at these 5 signs that you don’t know your audience as well as you think: 

1. Your website is essentially a digital version of a company brochure.
   It might look slick, but it’s shallow. There’s not much there to draw in a visitor who’s new to your company and wants to know if you’re trustworthy, knowledgeable, and understand their particular problems.  But your company slogan is prominently featured, there are a lot of product descriptions, a company bio, links to Facebook and Twitter feeds, and other information all about you.
2. Your social networking sites aren’t very social.
   Check your Facebook, Twitter, and blog feeds.  Is it full of talk about your products or services and links to your website?  When product descriptions and sales pitches are the conversational topic du jour on your social media, you’re probably not very well acquainted with your audience. Create and participate in conversations on topics that interest your target audience and you'll be a step closer to getting them engaged.
3. You’re going crazy trying to keep up with posting to all the buzzed-about social networks.
   It seems like a different social network becomes the hot new place to be seen every quarter.  Sometimes, marketing managers go crazy trying to make sure their brand has a presence on the latest fad.  But it’s really a headache that you don’t need to put yourself through.  If you know your audience, you’ll know where they hang out, and you’ll spend your time and energy on the key networks.
4. Your content doesn’t have any personality.
   When you read over the copy on your website, blogs, and social media posts, does it contain a lot of industry jargon?  How about these overused buzzwords? Or does it represent a unique, friendly, and relatable voice?  Be human. Don’t be a sales pitch machine.  People like humans, they don’t like being pitched.
5. You only talk about yourself.
   At a party, nobody likes the guy who can’t hold a conversation without talking about themselves and their accomplishments.  If all your marketing team does is talk sales, products, services, and developments in your company’s world, you’re that guy.  Don’t be that guy.

Inc.com’s Sales Source column recently posted an article titled, “Tell The Customer’s Story, Not Your Story” in which the author makes some great points that all content marketers should keep in mind.  For those of us concerned with our audience, here’s the key:  “Frankly, nobody gives a flying squirrel's sphincter about your company's decision-making process, which is the corporate equivalent of ‘how I spent my summer vacation’... in business, it’s never about you. It’s always about the customer.” 

Think of it this way— your digital content is a way to “date” potential customers.  And when you’re dating someone, you do some homework, find out what they’re interested in and learn about it so you can hold a conversation with them later.  Date your customers. Talk about things that are interesting to them, and watch the returns on your relationships increase.