Demographics get little attention from
community managers.
The way you approach building a community
for those aged 65+ is very different from those aged 8 – 15.
If you’re building a community for those
ages 8 – 15, you’re building a community for an audience that may never use
traditional computer screens (or e-mail addresses!). How will you reach them?
How will you make your message stand out amongst the other noise? How will you tackle the issues with
targeting a youth audience? How will you identify their problems, hopes, and relevancies?
If you’re building a community for those 65
and up, you’re probably building a community for those that will never participate heavily from tiny-screen devices, or be interested in new music
(this isn’t stereotyping, people become fixed in their habits around their late
20s).
This is just the beginning. There is an absolute WEALTH of information on building communities for a variety of different demographics. You owe it to your members to read and learn it before you begin your community effort.
Any time you’re building a community for a
demographic that’s not your own, you have to study the demographics first.
