Your brand’s target audience is (and should be) your number one priority. Why is this? Well, plainly put, without your customers, you don’t have a brand. Which is why it is vital you get to know them before and after you’ve crossed paths. How to identify your brand’s target audience then? We’re here to show you.
What Is a Target Audience?
Simply, a target audience is a group of people who would benefit from your product or service (aka they’ve got problems, you’ve got the solutions). They are defined by a specific set of characteristics (discussed below), and can be as focused as you wish to make them.
Benefits of Knowing Your Target Audience
You may be wondering, Why would I limit my potential customer reach by focusing in on a specific group? Well, to be clear, you’re not limiting anything by knowing who needs you and your product. You’re saving both you and your customer time, by speaking to the right people who will want to engage with you. Other benefits of knowing your target audience are the following:
- Knowing who you’re speaking to. By understanding who your audience is, you will better understand how to speak to them.
- You’ll know their needs. Again, you’ll save time by knowing what their needs are, and how you can continuously improve your solutions for them.
- You’ll know where to find them. You clear up the mystery of where to find them, and can cut down on wasting time trying to do so.
How to Define Your Target Audience
Ok, so how to go about identifying your target audience? Here is a list of questions you’ll want to answer, in order to do so:
- Know what problem(s) your product or service solves. This may seem obvious, but having a clear understanding of why your product is helpful will lead you to who will buy it. Speaking of…
- Think about who most likely would benefit from your product. Try and put yourselves in the shoes of someone needing your solutions. For example, your brand sells sneakers, aimed at providing long-lasting support and comfort. Who needs that? Well, for starters, people who work on their feet all day (nurses, teachers, grocery store employees, etc.).
- Consider their background. We’ll discuss this more below but next consider their demographic, lifestyle, age, general (and specific) background. This could be anywhere from daily habits to where they like to shop or what social media platforms they prefer to scroll.
- Find your competitors. Whether you’re new or been in business awhile, staying up to date on your competitors is not only important for you but also helpful in understanding your customer. Assuming you share similar target audiences, it’s good to see how your competition communicates to them (as well as the type of clients drawn to your competition). Then ask yourself, where are the gaps they’re not filling that you could?
Create Your Buyer Personas
This is where you get specific about your buyer. Think of it like this: you’re not only defining who they are, but how they are. What’s their personality? Influences? Some factors to include are the following:
- Age
- Profession/job title
- Education level
- Income level
- Marital status
- Goals
- Pain points (problems that need solving)
- Media consumption
- Hobbies
- Habits
To help explain this more thoroughly, click below.
There you have it! Just remember, once you’ve established your buyer persona, don’t forget to continue to understand your customer better. Engage in customer feedback, and take the time to put yourself in their situations to more fully realize how to serve them. After all, you as a brand are constantly evolving, so assume your customers are too.