Research Your Target Market To Find Your Ideal Customer

To research your target market is one of the most important elements of your social media strategy. To deliver the right message to the right audience will ensure that your time, energy and money are invested wisely.

One of the biggest problems business owners make with social media is trying to appeal to everybody. This results in engagement that’s a bit hit or miss. Imagine how much easier it would be if you could target your ideal customers – people who want your product and are happy to pay for it.

It is possible to achieve this through target marketing, the process of identifying the type of customers who are most likely to use your products and services. Once you know who these customers are, find out what their problem is. Then seek to understand how they feel about it and how they are trying to solve it. Then you can craft your marketing messages around helping them with a solution. You might attract many types of customers in the process but it’s worth aiming your marketing messages to the right audience because this way you are assured that you will attract and engage the type of customers you need.

So how do you research your ideal target market?

A great place to start is with your existing customer base.

1.    Who are they? What are they like? What did they buy? Who visited your website or signed up to your offer or newsletter?

2.     Look at your Facebook business fans, your Twitter and Instagram followers and the majority of your LinkedIn network Without being too obvious, stalk them online, look at their profiles. What are their common characteristics?

 

Look outside of your customer base – dig a little deeper to define your target market

3.  Who benefits most from your product or service?

4.  Why do they need or want it? What problems are they having?

5.  What keeps your target market up at night?

6.  Which groups or associations do they belong to?

7.  What does your target market aspire to?

8.  Who do they admire?

9.  What do they do in their spare time?

10.  Who does your target market they hang out with?

11.  Where do they hang out?

12.  What are their beliefs and attitudes?

13.  What campaigns/causes are they interested in?

14.  Where do they live?

15.  Is age an important factor with your product? If so, how old are they?

16.  Are they married, in a relationship, have kids?

17.  What type of job do they do?

18.  What annoys or bothers them?

19.  What social media platforms do they use?

20.  What type of posts does your target market share?

21.  Do they participate/comment in online forums or groups?

22.  Who do they follow on social media?

23.  Who are they linked to on social media, anyone you know?

24.  What trade shows or exhibitions does your target market attend?

25.  What seminars or workshops do they attend?

26.  What does your target market read (trade journals, magazines, blogs etc)

 

So now you’ve worked out what type of questions you need to ask,

How else can you find information on your target market?

Here are some ideas:

Research their social media profiles

Send out a survey or questionnaire to your existing and potential customers

Research online groups relating to your industry

Head up a small discussion (Focus) group made up of your target market

Industry publications and Trade Associations

Government information and research sites – ABS, wwws.business.gov.au etc.

Look at your competition – who are their followers, fans and customers?

 

Once you understand your target market your social media marketing will be more effective. You will know how to craft content that reaches more of your target audience than you would being less focused. Your target audience will be more engaged and you won’t be wasting your time and effort on those people who aren’t really interested in your product. Your marketing will be easier and more efficient. It’s business best practice!

I hope this blog helps you with your target marketing. Please feel to share it with friends and colleagues you feel will benefit from the information.

Particularly if they are small business owners like you.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below.