In business, people throw around the term “target audience” or “market audience” all of the time, while including little to no substance on what it is that they actually mean by it. Very simply put, your target or market audience, are the people that your business idea is aimed at, and are therefore likely to be the customers that make you the most profit. This is why it’s always suggested that you target these people directly, rather than simply putting out a generic marketing campaign that could be aimed at anybody. It can be difficult to know just what the best way is to reach your target audience initially. However, regardless of who your target audience actually is, there are some generalised processes that’ll help you to better reach them. Here are some of our top tips on how to do exactly that.
Do Your Research
No one can truly target their market audience without researching a little bit about them. If you were publicly marketing a product, and wanted to put it on a banner, chances are you’d be researching it to the nth degree, and finding out the most common vinyl banner sizes – so why should looking into your target audience be any different?
In order to target them effectively, you first have to understand your target audience. What are they interested in? What makes them tick? Where is the gap in the market that they so desperately need you to fill, perhaps without even realising it? Finding out these things is a crucial step towards reaching your target audience, because without researching who they are and what they need – you’ll never be able to fully understand them and BE what they need.
When we say do your research, we mean be extremely thorough. Find out exactly who they are and what they want. A great way of doing this, is by finding out the average age of the consumer who would be interested in your product, where they sit income-wise, and where they’re based. This will also give you an exact idea of product and pricing before you’ve even released the goods.
By defining your target audience, you ultimately shape your marketing campaign. After all, what would be the good in marketing your products towards the wrong people? Researching and understanding your target audience will shape your marketing campaign, aid you in designing your brand, and either make or break the success of your business. The customer is always right, so take the time to get to know them!
Make Sure Your Content is Relevant
We’re living in 2019, so ensuring that your business is on the internet is an absolute must, as this is where it will reach the vast majority of target audiences. However, in order to target the right people directly, you have to ensure that your online content is relevant.
Once you’ve done your research on who your target audience actually are, you should be able to pinpoint what will not only attract them to your online forum, but will keep them coming back.
For example, if they’re a niche audience, could you blog about a topic that’s relevant directly to them? Although images are arguably the initial most important thing, the things you post about will be what keeps your audience coming back.
You can even use social media in order to connect with target audiences, and if done well, it can be hugely successful.
Say that your business venture was regarding the buying and selling of property. Sharing it on social media generally is one thing, but have you ever taken the time to trawl through the groups and forums created on social media websites? If you looked on Facebook, for example, you’d find pages and pages of property groups and forums – some local, some further afield – where you could share your content in order to directly appeal to the right audience. That’s just an example, but the point stands for just about anything.
The Humble Hashtag
Last of all, but certainly not least, we’re going to talk about the revolutionary online tool called the hashtag.
Okay, so people joke about it – but it’s actually extremely powerful when targeting a specific crowd. Think about it. You hashtag words that directly link your product to your target audience, and you’re far more likely to reach who you’re searching for.
Say you were house selling company in Norfolk. Hash tagging #sellinghousesinNorfolk would direct you straight to the people who were looking for that service, and in turn, would direct them to you. Make the most of the tools that are already there, and enjoy the rewards.
