Defining your audience

Before we even turn on the camera, we need to figure out what we’re going to say. But even before that, there’s a more important question: Who are you teaching?

Defining your audience upfront will shape everything that follows — your outline, your examples, your tone, and your teaching style. I learned this lesson the hard way.

My audience misstep

When I first recorded this course, I aimed it solely at developers. It made sense since I’m a developer myself. But once I finished, I realized I had artificially narrowed my audience.

There were so many people who could benefit from screencasting — not just developers. So I re-recorded the course, expanding the audience to include anyone who works on a computer and wants to create great videos. Defining my audience more thoughtfully the second time made the course much stronger.

Finding your audience

Ask yourself these questions to help define your audience:

• Who can you speak to with confidence? Are you embedded in a particular community? Maybe you're a small business owner, a parent starting a side hustle, or someone passionate about a hobby.
• What are you an expert in? What knowledge do you have that others would find valuable?
• Where do your skills and your audience’s needs overlap? This is your sweet spot.

Example: Combining expertise with audience

Let’s say you’re an attorney who loves using Microsoft Excel. Most attorneys hate Excel, so a course called "Microsoft Excel for Attorneys" would resonate with your audience. You understand their specific challenges and can speak their language.

Or maybe you’re a bookkeeper with ADHD. You could create a course like "Bookkeeping for People with ADHD" — a course that directly acknowledges their challenges and offers practical solutions.

Understanding experience levels

Once you know your audience, consider their experience level.

• Beginners: Explain concepts clearly and avoid assuming prior knowledge.
• Intermediate learners: You can skip the basics and dive into more advanced topics.
• Experts: Focus on specialized knowledge and practical applications.

You don’t have to put "Beginner" or "Advanced" in your course title, but knowing your audience’s experience level will help you teach more effectively.

Narrowing your focus is a strength

It may feel like you’re limiting your reach by defining your audience, but the opposite is true. A clearly defined audience means your content will resonate deeply with the right people. They’ll feel like your course was made just for them.

So before we dive into outlining and recording, take a moment to think about your audience. Knowing who you’re teaching will guide everything that comes next.