#015 - Why Audience Strategy Is Often the Missing Growth Lever

Most founders think they understand their audience. They have the demographics, the personas, the segments. But oftentimes, that alone is not enough.

In this episode of High-Key Growth, I sit down with Erin Weaver, VP of Audience Development and Strategy at The Information (with past leadership roles at The New Yorker, Vox Media, and Group Nine Media), to break down what it actually means to understand an audience—and why it’s one of the most overlooked growth levers in business today.

Coming from the publishing world–an industry that has had to continuously evolve alongside shifts in media, technology, and consumer behavior—Erin brings a perspective rooted in truly knowing what resonates, what builds loyalty, and what ultimately drives action.

We explore why demographics fall short, how audience development connects top-of-funnel attention to long-term monetization, and what founders can learn from companies that have spent decades refining how to capture and keep attention.

This is a conversation about moving beyond surface-level targeting—and building a strategy around real audience insight.

In this episode, Erin covers:

• Why demographics alone don’t define your audience—and what actually does

• How to think about audience across the full funnel, from attention to loyalty

• Lessons founders can take from the publishing industry on building and converting an audience

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Erin Weaver a seasoned audience growth specialist with more than a decade of experience in audience development and analytics. She is currently the VP of Audience Development and Strategy at The Information. She is an expert in digital growth, social media engagement, and marketing. She has led social media, newsletter, analytics and marketing teams for some of the largest digital media companies in the world including The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Vox Media, and Men's Health.