It’s the first line in countless student media’s mission statements: “We serve the campus community.” But while the intention is great, this single phrase can unintentionally hold your organization back.

An audience-first mindset isn’t just a task for the audience editor or the business manager. When your entire team shares an understanding of who you serve, your publication becomes much more focused and collaborative.

Why it matters

For the editorial team

‍A reporter doesn’t have to guess what students care about. They can pitch a story that directly solves a problem for a specific audience. A social media editor knows exactly what tone to use on TikTok and Instagram to make a person stop scrolling because they know how to speak a persona’s language.

For the business team

‍An ad sales representative can walk into a coffee shop and stop selling generic ad space. Instead, they can offer a strategic partnership like: “We can connect you with hundreds of students just like ‘Commuter Chris’ who are actively looking for a place to study off-campus.” This changes the team from a separate entity into an integrated part of the newsroom.

If you’re trying to serve everyone, you’re serving no one. Here’s how to identify the specific audiences your student media organization needs to reach to maximize its impact and revenue.

‍Understanding your audience tiers

Not all readers are created equal for your strategic focus. Before you can figure out who your audience is, you need to understand their priority level. This helps you dedicate your time and resources effectively.

Primary audience

‍This is your most important group — the people you can’t afford to lose. For most student publications, this is the undergraduate student body living on or near campus.

Secondary audience

‍This group is important, but not mission-critical. They are a significant part of your campus ecosystem and valuable to reach. This tier often includes faculty, staff, and graduate students who have different needs and information habits than undergraduate students.

Tertiary audience

‍This is your nice-to-have audience. It’s great when you reach them, but you don’t build your core strategy around their needs. This usually includes alumni, parents, prospective students, and local residents.

How to gather your intel

Once you understand the tier, you can start gathering data with a few low-cost, high-impact methods. Here are some ideas:

Start with what you have

‍Your digital platforms are a 24/7 focus group. Dive into your website and social media analytics. What are your top-performing stories of all time? Which platforms drive the most engagement? What time of day are people reading? The answers should provide a baseline for what your audience already values.

Use a survey

‍You don’t need a 50-question survey no one will finish. A short, targeted poll can yield powerful insights. Read our article on how to conduct an audience survey here.

‍Social listening

‍Go where students are talking. Monitor the campus subreddit, Yik Yak or student-run social media groups. What are the recurring questions, complaints, and inside jokes? These are usually raw, unfiltered insights into the topics that your audience cares about — something they wouldn’t necessarily say in a formal survey. 

Building audience personas

The goal of your research is to create actionable personas. A persona is a semi-fictional character representing a key segment of your audience, giving your team a shorthand to talk about who you’re serving.

Create 2-3 personas to guide both editorial and business decisions. Include their names, short bios, goals, pain points and how you can address those pain points. For example:

• Name: “Commuter Chris”
• Description: A junior marketing major who lives 30 minutes off campus and works 20 hours a week on top of attending classes.
• Goals: Wants to feel connected to campus despite his schedule. Needs practical information on parking, food options, both on- and off-campus, and events that are worth the drive.
• Pain points: Feels disconnected from campus culture. Struggles to find out about events in advance. Finds university resources hard to navigate if they’re not living there.
• How we serve them: A weekly column on best parking tips and event calendar. Sell ad space to local businesses that solve his daily problems, like a local restaurant.

‍

• Name: “First-year Olivia”
• Description: An 18-year-old from a few hours away, living in the largest freshman dorm. Undeclared, knows very few people and is trying to figure out college life.
• Goals: Make friends. Navigate the campus without looking lost. Find a club that fits her interests. Learn how to manage time and money. Go to class on time.
• Pain points: Homesickness and loneliness. Feeling overwhelmed by the size and pace of a university. Confusion about campus resources.
• How we serve them: Explainers breaking down different campus systems (like the housing process). A welcome to campus guide, featuring local businesses.

What’s next

A well-defined audience can transform your work. It can turn your newsroom from a content factory into an essential public service and your business team from just sellers to strategic business partners.