Sharepoint 2016 Audience Targeting

Audience targeting in SharePoint 2016 allows organizations to deliver personalized content to specific groups of users. This feature enables administrators to customize content visibility based on user properties and audience membership. By leveraging audience targeting, companies can ensure that users are presented with relevant information, increasing efficiency and engagement.

To set up audience targeting, administrators must first define audiences in the SharePoint environment. Once audiences are created, the targeting feature can be applied to different elements, such as web parts, lists, or navigation links. The process involves associating content with specific audiences, ensuring that only designated users can see it.

Audience targeting is particularly valuable for large organizations where content is intended for specific departments, roles, or locations.

Key steps in configuring audience targeting:

• Create audiences using SharePoint's user profile services.
• Enable targeting on web parts and lists through settings.
• Associate content with the appropriate audience group.

Audience targeting can be applied to various SharePoint elements such as:

Element	Targeting Capability
Web Parts	Display content for specific user groups.
Lists and Libraries	Filter items based on audience membership.
Navigation Links	Show/hide links based on audience criteria.

SharePoint 2016 Audience Targeting: A Practical Guide

Audience Targeting in SharePoint 2016 allows you to provide personalized content to specific groups of users within your organization. By leveraging audience targeting, you can ensure that your site's content is relevant to the users who need it most, enhancing the overall user experience and streamlining information delivery. This feature can be applied to web parts, lists, libraries, and other elements within SharePoint, offering significant customization for different user needs.

Setting up audience targeting in SharePoint 2016 requires configuring audiences through the User Profile Service and associating content with specific groups. In this guide, we'll explore how to define audiences, configure targeting, and apply it to various web parts. Additionally, we will cover best practices to ensure optimal results when using this feature.

How to Configure Audience Targeting in SharePoint 2016

Follow these steps to enable and configure audience targeting for content within your SharePoint 2016 environment:

1. Enable Audience Targeting - Navigate to Site Settings > Site Collection Administration > Site Collection Features, and activate "Audience Targeting" for lists and libraries.
2. Create Audiences - In the User Profile Service Application, create new audiences that match your target groups. Audiences can be based on Active Directory properties, SharePoint groups, or custom criteria.
3. Assign Content to Audiences - Once the audiences are defined, apply them to web parts, lists, or document libraries by selecting the "Target Audience" property.
4. Test the Setup - Ensure that the targeting is working by logging in as a member of the targeted audience and confirming that the content appears as intended.

Best Practices for Audience Targeting

To get the most out of Audience Targeting in SharePoint, consider these best practices:

• Maintain Clear Audience Definitions - Be precise when defining your audiences. Overlapping or vague criteria may result in confusion or missed content for users.
• Limit the Number of Targeted Items - Avoid overloading your site with too many targeted elements. Keep it focused on essential content for improved performance and relevance.
• Regularly Review Audience Membership - Regularly check and update audience membership to ensure that content is delivered to the right people at all times.

Audience Targeting allows you to deliver tailored content to your users, improving engagement and the efficiency of your SharePoint environment. It’s essential to plan your targeting strategy carefully to ensure that the right audience receives the right content at the right time.

Audience Targeting for Web Parts

Web parts are an excellent use case for audience targeting. By customizing content on web parts based on the user's audience, you can improve the relevance and effectiveness of your SharePoint site. Below is a table outlining some common web parts that can benefit from audience targeting:

Web Part	Targeting Possibilities
Content Editor	Display different messages or instructions to different user groups.
Document Library	Show or hide documents based on department or role-based audiences.
Links Web Part	Target links to specific teams, projects, or user roles within the organization.

How to Configure Audience Targeting in SharePoint 2016

Audience targeting in SharePoint 2016 allows organizations to display specific content to different groups of users based on their profiles, roles, or other attributes. This helps improve user engagement and ensures that users see relevant information tailored to their needs. Setting up audience targeting can be particularly useful for portals with diverse user groups and content types.

Follow these steps to enable and configure audience targeting in SharePoint 2016:

Steps to Enable Audience Targeting

1. Ensure that the "Audience Targeting" feature is enabled in your SharePoint environment. This can be done from the Site Collection Features page.
2. Go to the Site Settings and select "Audience Targeting Settings" under the "Site Collection Administration" section.
3. Enable audience targeting on the site or list level by selecting the checkbox next to "Enable audience targeting" for the specific content.

Setting Up Targeted Content for Web Parts

Once audience targeting is enabled, you can set up content targeting on web parts like News, Document Libraries, or Custom Lists. This allows for specific users to see relevant web parts or documents based on their audience membership.

Important: Audience targeting can be configured at both the site and list levels. It is essential that the site content is properly tagged with the correct audience.

Configuring Targeted Content on a Web Part

1. Edit the web part you wish to target.
2. Under "Advanced" settings, find the option to target specific audiences and select the appropriate audience.
3. Save the web part settings to apply the audience targeting.

Managing and Organizing Audiences

To manage audiences, navigate to the "Audience" settings from the Site Settings page. Here, you can create new audiences based on Active Directory groups, SharePoint groups, or custom conditions.

Audience Name	Audience Type	Description
HR Department	SharePoint Group	Targets content to HR department users.
Executives	Active Directory Group	Targets content to executive-level staff.

By configuring audience targeting, you can optimize content delivery based on user attributes and roles, improving both efficiency and user satisfaction.

Creating Custom Audiences for Specific SharePoint Sites and Content

In SharePoint 2016, audience targeting allows you to display content to specific users based on their characteristics. One of the key features of this functionality is the ability to create tailored audiences for particular SharePoint sites or specific pieces of content. By leveraging these audiences, organizations can ensure that only relevant content is shown to the right users, improving user experience and engagement.

To set up custom audiences, you first need to define the criteria for inclusion. These can range from department, job title, location, to more complex criteria like membership in a particular SharePoint group. Once the criteria are established, they can be mapped to specific sites or content areas within SharePoint, making the experience personalized for each user.

Steps for Creating Custom Audiences

1. Navigate to the SharePoint site collection where you want to create the audience.
2. Open the Site Settings and under the "Site Collection Administration," click on "Audience Targeting."
3. Select "Create a New Audience" and define the audience rules such as location, department, or job title.
4. Assign the audience to specific content areas or entire sites as needed.
5. Enable audience targeting on web parts or lists to display content dynamically based on audience membership.

Audience Targeting and Content Display

Once the custom audiences are defined, you can target specific content within SharePoint to those audiences. This is achieved by enabling the audience targeting feature in web parts, document libraries, and other content zones. For example, a document library could show certain documents only to users who belong to a specific department.

Audience targeting ensures that users only see content relevant to them, which can improve user engagement and content discoverability.

Example of Custom Audience Configuration

Audience	Criteria	Targeted Content
HR Team	Department: Human Resources	HR policies, employee forms
Sales Team	Department: Sales	Sales reports, product catalogs

With this configuration, only users in the HR department will see HR-related content, and the Sales team will be able to access sales-specific documents, ensuring content relevance and accessibility.

Managing Audience Membership in SharePoint 2016

In SharePoint 2016, managing audience membership involves defining and organizing users into specific groups for targeted content delivery. This process allows administrators to ensure that only relevant users see specific information, based on their roles, interests, or other criteria. Properly managing audience membership ensures efficient content distribution across different user segments, leading to a more personalized and efficient user experience.

To manage audience membership, SharePoint provides several tools and methods for defining criteria and rules. These can be used to assign users to specific audiences based on Active Directory attributes, custom user properties, or even external data sources. Understanding how to configure these audiences is key to leveraging audience targeting effectively.

Steps to Manage Audience Membership

1. Access the Audience Targeting Settings: Go to the SharePoint admin center, and from there, navigate to the “Audience Targeting” settings. This is where you can create, modify, and delete audiences.
2. Create a New Audience: To create a new audience, select “Create Audience,” provide a name and description, and define the rules based on user attributes, such as department or job title.
3. Assign Users to Audiences: You can either manually assign users to an audience or use dynamic groups based on predefined criteria from Active Directory or external sources.
4. Configure Audience Targeting on Content: Once audiences are set up, enable audience targeting for libraries, lists, and web parts. This ensures that only the specified audience will be able to see targeted content.

Important: Audience membership can be dynamic, meaning users might automatically be added or removed from an audience based on changes in their profile attributes, such as job role or department.

Audience Membership Criteria

SharePoint 2016 allows administrators to define audiences using different attributes. Below are the common criteria for audience membership:

Attribute	Description
Department	Target users based on their department in the organization.
Job Title	Assign audiences based on the user's job title, such as “Manager” or “Engineer.”
Location	Use the geographic location of a user for targeted content delivery.
Custom Attributes	Leverage custom attributes defined in Active Directory or other external data sources.

By customizing these membership criteria, SharePoint 2016 helps ensure that the right content reaches the right users at the right time.

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How to Leverage Audience Targeting in SharePoint 2016 for Tailored Content Delivery

Audience targeting in SharePoint 2016 allows administrators and content creators to deliver specific content to targeted groups of users based on predefined criteria. By utilizing this feature, you can enhance the relevance of content, ensuring that users see only the information that matters most to them. This results in improved user engagement and better overall site performance. With a few configuration steps, you can tailor content on pages, web parts, and even documents, offering a personalized experience for every user within your organization.

To get started, SharePoint 2016 provides a simple yet powerful interface for defining audience groups and associating them with specific content. This personalization is achieved through the use of targeted content, where content is displayed only to members of specific audiences based on attributes like department, location, or role within the company.

Steps to Implement Audience Targeting

• Enable Audience Targeting on the site settings.
• Create or modify audience groups under Site Collection Administration.
• Configure content to be targeted at specific audiences (e.g., document libraries, lists, web parts).
• Assign the target audiences to the corresponding content items.
• Verify and test that targeted content is displayed correctly for the selected users.

Important: Audience targeting works best when the user profiles are up to date, as it relies on accurate information about each user.

Setting Up Targeted Content in Web Parts

When configuring web parts, administrators can specify audience targeting for individual items within the web part, ensuring that only relevant data is shown. For instance, in a news web part, you can target specific announcements to departments or teams based on audience membership.

Content Type	Target Audience
News Articles	HR, Marketing, IT
Document Libraries	Legal, Sales

Note: Audience targeting can be enabled on web parts such as Content Search, News, and Image Galleries. Ensure that the "Audience" setting is activated for these parts to display targeted content effectively.

Testing Audience Targeting Configuration Prior to Full Implementation

Before fully rolling out the audience targeting features in SharePoint 2016, it's crucial to ensure that the configurations are working as expected. Testing in a controlled environment helps identify potential issues that could impact user experience or performance. It's also an opportunity to confirm that the targeted content is reaching the correct audiences without any unintended access. Below are the steps to verify that your targeting setup is functioning properly.

Follow these steps to test your audience targeting setup before implementing it on a larger scale. This will allow you to adjust configurations and address any issues early in the process.

Steps to Test Audience Targeting Configuration

1. Prepare a Testing Environment: Set up a separate site or sub-site dedicated to testing, ensuring it mirrors the configuration of the production environment. This helps isolate potential problems without affecting live data.
2. Assign Test Audiences: Create a small group of users representing different audience segments. Assign these users to specific target groups based on their roles or characteristics in the system.
3. Enable Targeting for Content: Apply audience targeting settings to a variety of content types (e.g., web parts, document libraries). Ensure each content element is configured to display only to its intended audience.
4. Test Content Visibility: Verify that content is visible only to users assigned to the corresponding audience. Test multiple users from different groups to confirm that the targeting rules are properly enforced.
5. Monitor for Errors: Keep an eye on system logs for any errors related to content delivery or targeting. Ensure that there are no conflicts or permission issues that could affect visibility.

Important: Make sure to test audience targeting with users who have different levels of permissions, as this can affect how content is displayed or hidden.

Tools for Testing Audience Targeting

Tool	Purpose
SharePoint Management Shell	Used for reviewing and managing user groups and audience targeting settings.
User Profile Service Application	Essential for managing and verifying audience profiles and membership.
Browser Testing	Manually test content visibility by logging in as different users with specific group memberships.

By following these steps and utilizing the appropriate tools, you can ensure that the audience targeting configuration in SharePoint 2016 is properly set up and ready for full deployment.

Troubleshooting Common Problems with Targeting in SharePoint 2016

Audience targeting in SharePoint 2016 is an essential feature that enables content to be displayed to specific groups based on their roles, permissions, or attributes. However, there are several common issues that administrators might encounter when setting up or troubleshooting this feature. Understanding these problems and their solutions can ensure a smooth user experience and proper content delivery.

In this article, we will focus on common problems related to audience targeting and how to resolve them efficiently. From incorrect configurations to permission issues, these troubleshooting steps will help address the most frequent obstacles encountered by SharePoint administrators.

1. Incorrect Audience Rules

One of the most common issues is incorrectly configured audience rules. Audience targeting relies heavily on the creation of accurate rules that match user attributes. If these rules are not set up correctly, users may not see targeted content as expected.

• Ensure that the rules defined for your audience are correctly specifying user properties, such as department or job title.
• Check that the membership of the audiences is correctly assigned and updated.
• Verify that the audience source (Active Directory or SharePoint groups) is configured properly.

Make sure that each audience rule is targeting the correct attribute values, and check for typographical errors or outdated information in the rules.

2. Missing or Incorrect Permissions

Audience targeting often requires proper permissions to function correctly. If permissions are not configured properly, certain users may not be able to view targeted content even though the rules are set correctly.

1. Ensure that all users have sufficient permissions to view the pages or content that the audience is targeting.
2. Verify that item-level permissions are not restricting access to content intended for a specific audience.
3. Confirm that users are not being inadvertently excluded from audiences due to inheritance or unique permissions settings.

3. Browser Caching Issues

Sometimes, issues with audience targeting can be caused by browser caching. SharePoint caches certain user-specific information in the browser, which may lead to outdated or incorrect audience targeting information being displayed.

Instruct users to clear their browser cache or try accessing the site in an incognito window to verify if the issue persists.

4. Audience Targeting Settings on Web Parts

Targeting settings on web parts may not be enabled, which can cause content to be shown incorrectly. Ensure that the web part properties are set to allow audience targeting.

Action	Check
Web part configuration	Ensure that audience targeting is enabled for the web part.
Targeted Content Visibility	Verify the audience setting under the web part properties.

Best Practices for Maintaining and Updating SharePoint Audiences Over Time

Efficient management of SharePoint audiences is crucial for ensuring that content is appropriately targeted to the right groups. As your organization evolves, it is essential to regularly update and review audience settings to keep them aligned with changing business needs and user roles. Without proper maintenance, your targeting may become irrelevant or inefficient, leading to decreased user engagement and wasted resources.

To optimize audience targeting in SharePoint 2016, you need a structured approach that includes both routine checks and proactive adjustments. Regularly updating your audience definitions and reviewing group memberships are key components to maintaining effective content delivery. The following best practices can help you manage SharePoint audiences more effectively.

Key Strategies for Ongoing Audience Management

• Regularly Review Audience Membership: Periodically check the users assigned to each audience. Over time, roles and responsibilities within your organization may change, leading to shifts in the membership of specific groups.
• Refine Audience Criteria: Ensure that the criteria used to define each audience remain relevant. This can include attributes such as department, location, and job title. As your organization grows or changes, adjust these criteria accordingly.
• Test Audience Targeting: Before making large-scale changes, conduct tests to ensure that content is targeting the correct audience groups. This helps prevent errors that may impact user experience.
• Automate Audience Updates: Where possible, leverage automated tools or workflows to keep audiences up to date with the most recent information about users, such as role changes or department transfers.

Steps for Updating Audiences in SharePoint

1. Identify audience criteria that are outdated or no longer relevant.
2. Update or create new audiences based on the current organizational structure.
3. Test changes by viewing content with different audience settings to confirm accuracy.
4. Communicate any significant changes to content owners or administrators to ensure alignment with new audience configurations.

Tip: Always ensure that the audience update process involves collaboration between content owners and IT administrators. This ensures that the updated configurations align with the broader organizational goals and technical infrastructure.

Tools for Efficient Audience Management

Tool	Description
PowerShell Scripts	Can automate updates to audience memberships and simplify bulk changes.
SharePoint Admin Center	Allows you to manage and monitor audience groups directly from the interface.
Audience Targeting Settings	Helps refine targeting rules and conditions to ensure accurate content delivery.