Who-what-where-when-why?

“If you try to sell to everyone, then you’ll end up selling to no-one.”

Understanding how to identify target audiences ensures that you can take your brand, product or service to market in the most effective way.

So why is knowing your target audience important? Being able to profile your perfect customer or client helps to focus your messaging and approach in a targeted way, achieving better ROI. 

Large corporates spend vast amounts of money profiling their audiences in order to gain knowledge, because they know it will contribute to the success of their marketing strategies. AgeGenderEarningsGeographical Location are all great starting points since they can have an impact on purchasing decisions. Then, it is a case of finding the best channels to promote the product or service and getting the timing right; will your target audience be listening to or viewing the channel at that time? 

It is no surprise to me that I get targeted on a regular basis with adverts for cycling clothing and bikes from companies like Wiggle and Planet X as I am a regular customer and visit their website most weeks. But (and there is a but), it is essential for the information and messaging of these targeted posts to have value, otherwise they will simply not be engaging.

Asking the ‘Five Ws’ can be a great starting point for establishing and engaging your target audience…

Who?

What kind of person are you wanting to speak to?

What?

What messages do you want to target them with?

When?

Does your service or product have a timescale (is it a seasonal offering for example)?

Where?

Where is the best place to promote your business to its target audience?

Why?

Why would your target audience want to buy your product or service?

Remember, it may be necessary to create a number of assets that are specifically suited for different platforms. It may also be wise to publish these assets at different times on the various channels. For example, it may be effective to post on LinkedIn during business hours, while Facebook posts may receive greater engagement outside of normal working hours. Social media posts can then be combined with email campaigns and direct mail, all the while not forgetting the importance of driving traffic to your website.

Everything Starts With A Dot.