How Do I Define My Target Audience: 4 Questions to Ask

A clearly defined target audience is essential to a successful marketing strategy – it drives who you’re speaking to and what you’re saying.

To reach the right people, you must know exactly who and where those people are. Inbound Marketers strive to bring targeted people to your sites to convert them into qualified leads.

The first step is defining your target audience. Here are 4 questions you should be able to answer about your target audience right now.

Who is My Target Audience?

As a marketer, it is essential to have a clear understanding of who your target audience is.

Your target audience may depend on the product or service that you’re selling. For example, a business that sells running shoes may have customers who are of a broad range of ages. However, the younger segment may be interested in the color and design of the shoe, while the older segment may be more interested in the features and benefits of wearing that particular shoe.

Take time to consider the segment that your product appeals to. Think about age, gender, location, and education.

What is Their Financial Standing?

Not all customers have the same price points. What may seem like a luxury to one customer can be looked at as cheap to another. Knowing the quality of your products and the price points of each will help you effectively target the right people. Two things to consider when identifying your target audience include:

• Disposable Income: People with higher disposable income are more willing to spend on things like eating out, entertainment, and luxury goods. People with lower disposable income are more concerned about bargains.
• Buying Habits: Identifying when, how often, and how much your target audience consumes a product helps you reach them. For example, a mom of four kids may be interested in bulk items, while a single woman living alone would just get enough food for one. Knowing how your customers prefer to buy goods can help you adjust your price, place, and promotion for your product accordingly.

Where are They Located?

Living in different places calls for different needs and preferences. Does your target audience live in the south, north, east, or west? Do they live in urban or suburban areas? Trends, fashions, and needs differ across the country. City dwellers don’t care about lawn care the same way as suburbanites.

Lastly, when it comes to creating ad campaigns, your approach should differ for each region. The way you advertise in Mexico will be very different than the way you advertise in New York. Strategically advertising in each region will help bring the right traffic to your website.

How Can I Reach Them?

Once you have identified your target audience, you can narrow down which tools to reach them with. Inbound marketers use common tools, including social media platforms, blogs, search engine optimization (SEO), and websites. Think about which channel makes the most sense for your target audience. For example, if your target audience’s age range is 55+, Twitter and Instagram may not be the smartest place to put your money. On the other hand, targeting women and mothers on Pinterest could be beneficial. Choosing the right platform for each segment will increase traffic, conversions, and, therefore, revenue.

Ready to start targeting the right customers? Let’s chat! Contact PHOS today!