Every successful business owner understands that marketing is top on the priority list. But maybe you feel like marketing is a waste of time. Or maybe, you aren’t seeing the benefits of all of your efforts. If this how you feel, I can almost guarantee that you are not targeting the right audience. In this very loud, very large, very digital world, you will find the most success as the big fish in a small pond. In other words, find a small audience you can influence greatly. In a well engaged, targeted audience you become a micro influencer, the expert, the go-to, the solution. So, how do you determine your target audience? I’ve comprised 5 of the most important questions you can ask when trying to determine your target audience.
- Who is your most frequent customer? If you have been in business for a while this is probably an easy question to answer. These are the people you see and speak to every day. They “like” your Facebook page, and signed up for your email, or they fill up your store front. If you are new to business, and perhaps never had a customer… keep reading, I’ve got you covered.
- What solution does your product or service provide? Every business solves a problem. If you are a plumber, you have the knowledge base and tools necessary to change your customer’s lifestyle for the better. (If you’ve ever had a plumbing issue, you know how much your life can be turned upside down when something goes wrong!) If you are a hair stylist, you provide the expertise necessary to cover my gray and keep my split ends at bay. At Adrienne Nakohl Copywriting for instance, I provide copywriting and social media content services to small business owners lacking the time or desire to write their own content. Knowing what problem you solve will greatly help you narrow down your audience.
- What are the costs of your services? Knowing your precise costs is another way to determine your target audience. If you are selling $12,000 prints, but you’re marketing to stay-at-home moms, you have completely missed your target audience. Chances are there are only a hand full of stay at home moms who can afford $12,000 in a luxury home décor item. At the same time, you don’t want to under sell your product. If you were marketing your $12,000 prints to established professionals with art museum memberships, you will have a much better return.
- Who are your competitors? As the old saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. Therefore, someone somewhere has a business just like yours. Knowing your competition helps you determine your target audience. Who are they marketing to? What kind of strategy are they using? Are they successful? Or are they struggling to keep up? By the way, this is not a license to plagiarize. You still have to be creative with your own marketing and copy, but this is another tool in understanding who you should market to.
- Where is your place of business? Think about where you will be doing business to help you determine your target audience. For example, my copywriting business is completely online. My customers expect email, messaging, Facetime, PayPal all as a part of doing business with me. But If I were to hand out fliers to brick and mortar businesses in my hometown, they would expect more face to face interaction. Knowing where your audience would prefer to do business will help tremendously when determining who your audience is.