7 Steps to Successful Targeting

In today’s article, we will talk about how to make your advertising message address your target audience, and the use of target audience analysis in particular.?

Definition

Target audience analysis is the process of the creation of your target audience, understanding its desires, and ways to reach it. It is an initial step in the creation of an attractive product or content.?

The given approach will help you focus on the identification of the audience that is likely to buy your good or service, make your offer more relevant, avoid wasting money on an unsuccessful marketing campaign, as well as personalize the user experience.?

Types of Target Audience Analysis

Do not be limited by only one type of target audience analysis, and do not forget that the chosen method should base on your goals and needs.?

Primary research

At this stage, we focus on the analysis of our own data with the help of surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observation. It is the direct data collecting that is important, and not the use of information obtained in advance by a third party for its personal goals and available for public use.??

Secondary research

This stage is required to carry out additional research and collect already available information. Secondary researches include research material published in reports and similar documents. These papers can be provided by public libraries, websites, data from completed questionnaires, etc.?

Quantitative research

This type of research uses numerical data to measure such metrics as purchase behavior or market trends. For example, if a company wants to conduct a Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) survey, a Customer Satisfaction Score template can be used.?

With the help of this survey, it becomes possible to collect quantitative data and metrics on the brand reputation in customers’ minds based on multiple parameters, e.g., product quality, price, client service, etc.?

Qualitative research

In this case, we use non-numerical data to estimate the level of client satisfaction or brand recognition, often with the help of direct dialogue. For example, one of the good ways to define the reason women do not visit a shop is to carry out a similar interview with potential customers in this category.?

Psychographic research

The last research we will discuss in this article is focused on consumer psychology, studying desires, goals, values, interests, and life choices. How would you describe yourself? What phrase describes your lifestyle the best? What is your biggest life value? Answers to similar questions will help to monitor the factors that influence the choice of a particular brand or product by a client.?

Stages of Target Audience Analysis

1. Establish goals?

Your target audience will change depending on the goals set, therefore, I recommend thoroughly considering this question.?

2. Study the existing client base?

Conduct a survey or research within your client base. Find out what attracts or repels them, what content they would like to get from you, as well as the problems they face when interacting with your brand.?

3. Create a portrait of an ideal client?

Here you can use such questions: Who is my ideal client? Why does he/she choose my product? What needs does he/she have? What motivates them? The questions should correlate with the goals you set at the first stage.?

4. Collect factual data about your TA

I recommend using methods and approaches described in the section Types of target audience analysis, while collecting the data.?

5. Analyze the data

Try to find patterns and outline key moments that would complement the image of your client. This stage also helps to correlate and detail the audience portrait you created at stage 3.?

6. Conduct marketing research?

It is an essential part of target audience analysis, since it helps to know your TA better, using surveys, research, and approbation of focus group’s data.?

7. Analyze your competitors

Analyze the content generated by your clients. Use this information to competently build your own content strategy.?

Conclusion

The key to successful targeting is a competently created theory based on a sufficient volume of data. However, it is not efficient to nominally and thoughtlessly collect as much available data as possible, hoping that it will prove your initial hypothesis.?

One of the most complicated tasks of targeting is correct data interpretation. Many face the temptation to adjust the information received to the initial theory or portrait they’ve created. This approach is fundamentally wrong.

When working with data, you should understand that your concept of the target audience may be changed, complemented, or completely destroyed by the information received. The point is not to consider it a failure, but to adapt and be ready for any correction.?