Who is the “Perfect Reader” for my Newsletter Concept?

We have reached a point in my media and entrepreneurship class where we have surpassed the introductory material, having covered a wide range of concepts and ideas that have set us up for this moment.

Now, it is time to begin materializing the ideas that we have been brainstorming over the last month and a half and put them into action. Taking ideas from our different assigned readings, videos and guest lecturers during class time, I have reason to believe that our class is set up nicely for this moment. We have been schooled up and prepared well, and now it’s time to dive in the water and see how it all shakes out. It’s an exciting time.

So at this point, we’ve been asked to identify our “perfect reader.” Of course, this is not limited to one person, but rather what group of people my work will resonate with the most. In my case, I know that my audience is hockey fans, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. One key we’ve discussed as a class regarding successful SubStack models are those that appeal to niche groups, that is to say a group within a group that will really connect with the content I intend to put out to the world.

I believe my target audience is dependent on how exactly I go about creating my SubStack model. I have a few different ideas that I have been cycling through, and, to be honest, I am not fully sure which idea could be best served on a platform like SubStack. While some of our guest lecturers advised against creating newsletters centered around aggregation, I still believe that would be the best way to go about starting out.

For this reason, I think my “perfect reader” would be an NHL fan that may or may not have a hometown team to root for, but, more than anything, is just a fan of the league. As I’ve mentioned in a few of my previous posts, I think my model could be most successful by compiling all of the latest headlines from games and stories around the league. Given the difference in time zones, someone on the east coast might not be able to catch a handful of games that are ending after 1 a.m., whereas someone on the west coast might not be able to get out of work in time to catch games that start at 7 p.m. EST. If I commit to providing these updates in a timely manner, so that my newsletter is the first thing hockey fans are reading in the beginning of the day, people might find my work useful to them.

I think another characteristic of my “perfect reader” would be those who truly care about the NHL draft and prospect development. As also mentioned in my previous post, the nature of the NHL prospect system is a little obscure since players are coming from all over the world. I think someone who pays attention to where and how prospects are playing before they are drafted (and in some cases after) would also engage with my work in a productive way.

While I don’t have it all figured out at this moment, I believe I am thinking about these things in the right way. As a person who errs on the side of caution, I like to think about all of the possible problems I could encounter with my model before thinking about the possible successes. I want to ensure that my model will be successful in every way I set out for, and I’m really excited to make that next jump and get this thing going once and for all.