One of the most important planning stages of creating a business is finding your target audience. Before even creating products and branding, you must have a clear idea of your target demographic. Who actually wants/needs your product service? How old are they? What disposable income do they typically have? Where do they usually live? These are vital questions and it is possible to find this information quickly as we show below.
1. Perform simple Google searches
Google has to be one of the most useful websites of all time. It can be used to find information on virtually anything – including target audience information.
This is an incredibly simple and quick method to try. You may be surprised at the results and data you can find. For example, let’s say you have a gardening supplies business. You could simply search on Google for “gardening supplies target audience data” – or something similar.
You can guarantee that Google will return a wealth of analytical information, statistic websites, and blogs giving detailed research. If using information from third-party websites, it is always important, however, to check the validity of their claims.
2. Use social listening tools
Social media is another prime source of target audience information due to the sheer volume of people who use platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
To find target demographic info via social media, you can use social listening tools. These are analytical tools that trawl through social media platforms to find relevant information and data. You can then use this data to gain insight into your target customers including what they like, what posts and pages they interact with, and how they choose products.
Popular platforms that include social listening tools include Buffer, HubSpot, Hootsuite, and Falcon.io.
3. Look at competitor data
Competitors are a brilliant source of target customer info – the best thing about this, is that the competitors have already done most of the hard work for you. All you have to do is do some competitor research and use their customer base to your advantage.
You can look at competitor social media profiles, for example. Look at their pages – who follows them? What type of person likes and shares their posts? Who typically interacts with them and purchases their products/services? This is a simple but effective method and allows you to tap into a wealth of information from established companies within your industry.
4. Brainstorm simple business concepts
Lastly, we often overlook the simplest methods. Instead of a technological approach, you could simply grab a pen and paper, and brainstorm ideas sat at your kitchen table!
In most cases, you will immediately have an idea of your target audience. You can also use your own knowledge and experience of the industry to brainstorm questions and ideas. Think about different things like the age range, sex, location, and salary/profession of the people who are likely to buy your products/services.
Use This Info to Create Effective Products and Branding
Now that you have this information, what do you do with it? You use it to create streamlined and targeted products and branding. You can now create products specifically tailored to your target audience. Also, you can use various logo design tools and branding tools to produce branding and marketing that will appeal directly to your target demographic.
Essentially, understanding your target audience enables you to run a more effective business. Without this information, your products and marketing may be generic and have far less appeal to the people who are likely to buy/see them.
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