Give the people what they want! The last thing you want to do is spend time creating content that your members are not interested in.

Constantly paying attention to the feedback you get from your subscribers is imperative to the survival of your membership website. Here are top 4 ways to learn more about your audience and what they want.

1. Social Media

The list of Social Media Media platforms is pretty long; to name the obvious, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Quora.

The first thing you need to do is find out where your audience is, and pay attention to what they’re discussing, what there frustrations and hobbies are.

By finding out what questions your audiences have, what struggles they are going through, and what popular topics they are passionate about, you know which subjects to write about.

Make sure to check online communities, discussion forums, comments in the blog section and any trending hashtags on twitter, or facebook. Stay updated with any pop culture events, or trending topics that your audience could be interested in.

In conclusion, engaging in social listening will teach you a lot about your audience.

2. Analytics

Numbers don’t lie! Analytics inform you which articles got the most views, most likes, which article started a debate, or inspired the most number of comments. Analytics tell you which topics your readers are most interested in. Through the data, you can find out how many times a specific video has been downloaded, or which courses are most popular.  Therefore, use these numbers to your advantage to give your members more of what they want. After all, you are writing to keep your audience coming back!

3. Surveys

Surveys can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be.  You can send out surveys to your list of subscribers.  A survey is pretty customizable. You can either create one with 15 questions, or one with just one question to get feedback on a piece of content you recently created and shared. You can send out a survey to ask your readers about a certain topic they want to read more about or one that they are tired of hearing about.   The best thing about surveys is that they are straightforward. You can ask your subscribers exactly what you want to know from them.

There are simple tools you can use to help you conduct surveys, such as Google Forms, Survey Monkey, or Type Form.  However, make sure to keep your surveys regular, but not overbearing. The last thing you want is to overwhelm your subscribers with a survey every day. Make sure to use the data you collect to your advantage.

4. Market Trends

It’s always important to be aware of what is happening in your industry/market. Here’s a tip! Follow influencers, especially ones your audience are following. Read their blog, watch their videos, and listen to their podcasts. Check out the competition, and pay attention to their most popular topics.

What questions are your subscribers asking? What comments are they making and what are their favorite topics to discuss?

Let’s Wrap it Up…

In conclusion, make sure to use all four methods to learn about your subscribers. The best way to maximize your research is to use a variety of methods.