A few weeks ago, I posted a survey for those of you who regularly read my blog – my first survey in more than five years. In books on writing, you’re always reminded of the importance of “knowing your reader,” and the same is true for blogging.
Exactly 500 people filled out the survey, five of which won a stack of books (winners have already been notified!). Over the course of two weeks, I went through every single response, trying to get a good picture of individual readers who completed the survey. I’m grateful to those of you who took the time.
Here are a few things I learned about my regular blog readers.
Demographics
More than 50% of readers fit into the 26-35 and 36-45 age range. The remaining percentages break down into other ages (18-25, 46-55, 56-65 and over 65). The takeaway? Most readers are in my age range or older than me.
More than 50% of readers live in suburban areas (55%), with urban and rural readers mirroring each other to make up the remaining 45%.
More than 50% of readers are in church leadership of some kind, whether as pastors, staff, or serving in organizations devoted to ministry. The rest are church members. Seeing the numbers here reaffirmed my passion to encourage pastors and church leaders, and also articulate truth in ways that appeal to all Christians, so that pastors will find my work to be a trusted source they can share with their congregations.
The biggest denomination represented was Southern Baptist (40%), but a majority of my readers belong to other Baptist denominations, or non-denominational churches, and a variety of evangelical groups, such as Presbyterian, Evangelical Free, Anglican, etc.
What Readers Like and Don’t Like
In the comment boxes on the survey, readers got the chance to share what they think. In the “what you like most” category, the majority of responses said something about the way I intersect theological truth with cultural commentary. You said you appreciated the balanced and insightful nature of the blog posts, and the Trevin’s Seven feature points you a good variety of helpful articles. The emphasis here on ‘theology in everyday life’ resembles the subtitle of the blog, what it means to ‘live on earth as citizens of heaven’ – a phrase that continues to guide my writing.
Some people said that posts are too long, while about an equal number said they are too infrequent. The main thing readers said they “don’t like” about the blog is that I no longer post daily.
Putting those two insights together, a sizeable chunk of readers said they’d like more of the blog but in smaller doses. I don’t see any major changes to blog frequency ahead, especially considering my editing responsibilities and the book I am currently working on. I do hope to remain consistent. (On my Facebook page, I pull out some older, still relevant posts from the archives. You can also subscribe to the blog via email.)
Conversation Over Coffee
The answers to the question regarding what readers would discuss with me over coffee were all over the place. That question was funny to me, probably because the reader would be drinking coffee and I’d be drinking hot chocolate or hot tea, but definitely not coffee. 25% mentioned a theological issue, and 25% mentioned a cultural issue, which bolsters the insight from the earlier question of why people read the blog: they appreciate the intersection of theology and culture. The rest of the responses ran the gamut, from The Gospel Project, to family life, to my time in Romania, or my Ph.D. dissertation.
To those of you who took the survey, thank you. I appreciate your time. This survey will help me better understand the people I seek to serve through the blog. Thank you for sharpening me.