DETERMINING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
It can be tempting to try and appeal to everyone in order to have a large pool of customers or followers, however this could be working against you. Being all things to all people often isn’t viable. When you select specific target audiences that really benefit from your products or services your able to focus your marketing efforts and budget on those most likely to buy from you.
When it comes to determining your target audience, it’s important to delve deep and really get to understand who your customers are and where you shine over your competitors. As the picture of your target audience develops you will find they have a lot of similar characteristics. These are important to take note of, as they help you to find ways to target your marketing efforts towards people who want to hear about your product or service.
Here are a few common groupings.
Age
People have different needs at different stages of their lives and how they want to engage with you also changes.
Geographic Location, Language & Time zones
Targeting country wide or internationally can be costly and difficult. Often it may be best to focus on select markets and for many, starting with a local audience can be a better approach.
Spending Power or Patterns
What is the disposable income of your audience? If your product is a necessity this may be less relevant, however if it’s something that’s nice to have but not a necessity such as a designer handbag you need to target audiences that can afford to buy your products.
Stage of Life
Does your product appeal to young mums, college students or retiree’s. Depending on the stage of life your audience is at will allow you to determine where to find them.
Occupation and Education Level
Does your target audience work in a corporate environment or a warehouse, do they have a high or low level of education, are they straight out of school?
Buying Motivation
What needs or desires does your product fulfil? Does your advertising need to tug at their heartstrings or appeal to their adventurous side. How does it align with your customers values? Are they environmentally conscious?
By grouping your customers into categories, you can build a picture of who they are and you will also find it easier to determine how to reach them. It’s vital to develop a clear picture of your customer in order to sell effectively and this is a great first step. If you haven’t done it yet, give it a try. I promise the reward is worth the effort.
Want to know how to use your target audiences once you create them? Check out our Targeted Marketing newsletter.