You’ve likely heard the term “target audience” as it relates to marketing and public relations. But, have you given much thought to exactly who or what your target audience is? Do you know who wants and needs to purchase your products or services? Here is some information on how you can explore and evaluate your target audience:
It can be incredibly productive for you to take the time to figure out who your target audience or target market is. Otherwise, you may do hit and miss marketing or broadcast marketing hoping to reach potential customers. By defining who you market or audience is, you can then focus your marketing efforts and dollars to get the best return or for your investment. Start by looking at your current customers—who are the people using your products and services and where are they coming from? What is their age, income level, gender, family status, etc? If you can get a good picture of your current customer or client base (or potential market if you are just starting out)—you can then broaden that to include other individuals who you think MAY be part of your target market, but you just haven’t reached them yet.
Once you think you know who your customers are and where they are coming from, look for what else this demographic might be purchasing—do they go to movies or plays? Where do they shop? What do they do for entertainment? Do they go to church? As you think of your customers and potential customers as “consumers”—you’ll start to get a picture of how they are spending their money and where you might be able to reach them. Now, you’re starting to gain an understanding of who your target audience or market is.
Having identified your target market, you can now investigate and experiment with how to reach them. Do they read the newspaper? Listen to the radio (which stations)? Do they respond to coupons or online advertising? You can put your energy and efforts into marketing your products and services directly to your potential market in the way(s) they are most likely to hear the message.
Identifying your target audience is not a one-time activity. As you build your business or your client contacts, you’ll need to continually adjust your understanding of who your audience or market is and how their lives are changing. Technology, communities, and markets morph and change so you’ll need to keep a finger on the pulse of your target audience so you can change along with them.
See Also: Do You Know What Your Customers Want?