Getting started…

The Audience Development Planner is a tool on the Audience Finder dashboard. To access simply login or create an account here.

You can create, save, edit and download multiple plans using this online template. Add in as little or as much information as you like and at any point you can generate a word document from the work you have already completed which can be further edited and shared with colleagues.

What is the Audience Development Planner?

A simple tool to help you create a plan focusing on the audiences you want to reach. You will need to include information about your visitors, some of which you will already have, some you may have to gather, some of which you can find in Audience Finder. The template will then help you use evidence to create a bespoke plan.

Why do I need one?

To translate your organisation’s business aims into short, medium and long term audience plans, be they artistic, social or financial, in an effective way. So you can:

  • understand your existing visitors
  • prioritise new audiences to reach
  • set your strategic direction and create objectives and action plans

Resources to help you get started

Whether you are new to audience development planning or just in need of a refresher there are hints and tips

throughout the Audience Development Planner, including links to helpful resources such as:
  • 'Guide to audience development planning' - This guide to audience development planning reflects the views and experience of The Audience Agency and is based on a combination of theory, our observations and experience of what helps organisations to develop thriving, sustainable audiences.
  • Further reading on the relationship between mission statements and the public - 'The relationship between mission statements and the people they serve'
  • Free Area Profile reports of the regions can be found in the national audiences section of the Audience Finder dashboard. This is a great place to start understanding what the population in your region looks like. To find out more information about your local catchment area you can order specific area profile reports from The Audience Agency research team here.
  • If you don’t have any internal data on your audiences, the Office for National Statistics website here, is a useful source of external secondary data from the 2011 Census.
  • The annual Taking Part survey provides useful context on cultural engagement patterns across the population here.
    • Photo of Case in Point | Stage Directions file
    Case in Point | Stage Directions

    Evaluating a Salford cultural and education partnership which co-creates theatre with children and young people.
    Photo of Report | New data from new audiences file
    Report | New data from new audiences

    How The Audience Agency is innovating to help art galleries find out more about their visitors in a fun and interactive digital way.