Target Audience Identification

How to Identify Your Target Audience

Defining your target audience starts with identification. Target audiences are those most likely to benefit from your product or service. Insights are used to determine which population segment is likely to be attracted to what you have to offer. There are key ways to begin with target audience identification. Ideas or questions represent the start of the journey to connect with your potential customers.

Leverage today's ever-expanding world of artificial intelligence. Chat GPT is interactive in nature, which is great to delve into the nature of your audience. A good way to start is with simple questions, such as "who would be most likely to use my product." Fill in the blank with your product or service. Chat GPT is helpful to clarify if a suspected segment of the population is your target audience.

Questions should begin in general terms, and then increasingly become more specific. For example, "20 year olds" changes to "20 year old females living in metropolitan areas." The more specific you can be, the greater ability to craft a winning approach. Each target audience has unique desires, appeals, and pain points. Using this information engages your audience with your product or service. Advertising that is directed to that segment offers greater chance for your message to be heard.

 

Use dynamic resources to determine your target audience

The goal is to identify which market segment is likely to develop a connection to your brand. Information can be obtained from current customers to determine new target audiences. I like to begin with an in-depth analysis into your current customer base, or define your product features and benefits first if you are just starting out.

Define characteristics of your current customers by answering these questions:

1. where and how do your customers find you? (web search, word of mouth)
2. what is the frequency or repeat buyer rate? (be specific)
3. how much do you know about your target audience? (biographical data, likes)
4. what is your success rate for promotions? (with percentages)

Define the features and benefits of your product or service:

1. what problem does your product or service solve? (list in order of importance)
2. what is the cost or required frequency of use to obtain results? (average sale amount)
3. your most likely target audience for your product or service (age, demographic)
4. measures of success (customer preference)
5. how is your product superior to options that already exist in the market place?

From this information, you can then craft an image of your ideal customer. The best strategy to use depends on the demographic, biographical, and social data of the target consumer. When you define your audience, you can use specific messaging to engage with them, which speaks directly to their touch points. Emphasize your product selling points. Explain how that will help solve your customer's problem.

Watch the video below to hear media explain how to capture your audience's attention. Now that you have identified and defined your target audience, follow the advice of Anne Ink, and incorporate media strategies that directly engage your target audience.

About Anne Ink

Find animation videos on the following pages: positioning, identity, philosophy, media, and presence. Anne Ink services include branding and strategic marketing, design, writing, and photography.