This article explores how to define your target audience. A great way to help you is to define your ‘Perfect Customer’ and create Buyer Personas. These customer profiles are based on your best and most profitable business relationships. Think about how you attract and maintain those relationships. What are they interested in? How do you adapt your product or service offering to attract or retain their business?
Who are your audience?
One of the most common mistakes when targeting an audience is to try and appeal to everyone. Instead, try to target a more niche audience. Aim for businesses or individuals who are likely to purchase your products or services. It is not an effective strategy to try to please everyone. Your time, energy and money are better invested in a target audience.
Firstly, you will need to define who your target audience are. This is done by the use of demographics and psychographics. Although these figures are limited, it allows for a better understanding of your consumers. Google Analytics is a useful tool to use for detailed information on your audience.
The best place to start is to look at your current customers and ask why they buy your products or services. Research your audiences’ personal characteristics and interests. From there you can evaluate which type of customer brings in the most business. Your target audience will be made up of people with varied needs, yet they will all relate to your business on some level. Conclude how your product will fit into your customer’s lifestyle or needs. You are creating a profile of your Perfect Customer.
Now you know who your perfect customer is you can go to the next stage. Create Buyer Personas to understand how to appeal to different people within a business. The Financial Director will want hard facts and figures and a ROI. A Sales Director will be more interested in how you are creating a ‘Wow’ factor.
Understanding your target audience
It is important to understand your audience. Developing and maintaining lasting relationships with customers is important for all businesses. Directly interacting with your audience enables you to find out more about them. You start to understand their particular needs. Get involved on your own social networking sites to develop relationships. Therefore, joining relevant groups on Facebook and LinkedIn may also give you an insight on what the customer is looking for. You can then tailor your marketing strategy to meet your consumers’ needs. For example, the best time to post an article on a social networking site. Or the best time to send out an email.
Decide what problems your business solves. How do you add value or resolve a particular pain point? Individuals are clicking on your website and social pages as they are in need of a product or service. It is important to make sure that the content you produce shows the purpose and benefits of your company. Avoid sharing too much content that is irrelevant to your business. Do not assume anything about your audience. Use the data you have available to make an informed and more reliable decision.
Who are your competitors?
Researching your competitors is a crucial activity to practice. You can see where your business will fit in within that market. Then use their best practices and avoid any mistakes that they make. You need to research who your competitors are. Look at the feedback people are giving them. Now you can start to differentiate your business from others.
One way to research your competitors is to track the strategies they use. For example, you could try signing up to their website and feeds. Do they send out regular emails? How do they address the customer? Information you have collected can be used for your own business. If you feel it is not a beneficial strategy, then it can be ignored.
About Blackberry Design
Blackberry is a creative design agency. We work with businesses in Redditch, Worcester, Birmingham, the Midlands and nationally. We help our clients build strong brands that can create loyalty and add value.
At Blackberry we use our expertise in both digital and print marketing to help your business get the best results. We’ll help you engage your audience with digital and print marketing that work together.
If you have any questions or what to know what Blackberry Design can do for your business. Get in touch on 01527 517309 or fill in our contact form.