Blog Audience

Constructing an effective blog demands tailoring the blog to the intended audience. Although this may seem simple, customizing an entire web page requires the modification of various minute details. Everything from design and advertising to the post content and participation can shape the audience’s perception upon viewing. To effectively analyze how these elements interact, we will take a closer look at the MMA Mania blog.

To customize a blog one must first identify the target audience. MMA Mania’s target audience are males between 15 to 25 who avidly follow mixed martial arts (MMA). To appeal to this audience, MMA Mania creates an ‘alpha male’ theme whereby viewing the blog resurrects a feeling of masculinity.  

When first entering the blog, we immediately see an octagon cage bleeding out. The site uses an octagon, which is the official shape of mixed martial art’s rings. The use of the octagon gives the appearance to MMA fans that this blog knows the intricacies of MMA and will yield important information.  This expertise is furthered by the blog’s title, MMA Mania, reflecting the extreme priority that is given to the sport.

The blood that descends from the octagon highlights the brutality of mixed martial arts. Viewers of ultimate fighting like to see vicious matches where men rip one another to pieces. For this reason, blood is shown frequently throughout the blog. One quick scroll down the page reveals gruesome pictures of a person’s head cut open while another shows an individual getting pummelled with blood streaming across his face. Having a red background colour for titles and red text for important links and information furthers the alpha male theme as it a constant reminder of the dangers in MMA.

Advertising on the side of the page also appeals to the target audience as commercials range from Bruce Lee kung-fu breakdowns to attractive blonde women wearing videogame t-shirts. These advertisements were placed on the blog as they convey masculinity and reassure the target audience that they are in the right place.

This clever use of colour and advertising create a theme that delays the target audience from exiting and thus allowing time the target audience to browse the various blog posts. The entries are comprised of pre-fight hype post-fight analysis. One such entry named “UFC146 results recap” is riddled with facts and an in-depth look at how each fighter in UFC 146 was victorious. The descriptions that the blog incorporates (“Rosario’s lethal kicks versus Miocic’s crisp punching combinations”) stirs the imagination and gives a feeling of excitement. After reading the post, the audience is left with strong opinions regarding the fight's outcome and a greater loyalty to the blog itself for the thought-provoking commentary.  

To express these opinions, the blog allows readers to debate what they feel after reading the post. The post is a continuation of the alpha male theme as reader’s square-off against one another to prove their MMA expertise. In this way, audience participation facilitates engagement in discussions and ensures the blog's success as readers often return to see if their comments face opposition.