What is a target audience?
Your target audience is the group of people you’re targeting with your products or services. For example, an interior designer can choose to focus on individuals looking to furnish their homes or on small or large businesses in need of office furniture. Each target audience has different requirements and needs that you must address. You can think of your target audience as your ideal customer. You design your business and website with your customer in mind to ensure you strike the right chord. This way, you create a targeted customer journey. The better your website is tailored to your target audience, the higher the percentage of visitors who will convert. What are the key considerations for your target audience? These differ between B2C (business-to-consumer) and B2B (business-to-business):| B2C | B2B |
| Gender | Gender |
| Age | Age |
| Level of education | Level of education |
| Region | Region |
| Interests and behavior | Interests |
| Needs/pain points | Needs/pain points |
| Features | Industry |
| Channels/social media | Company size |
| Conversion (what action do they take regarding your product/service) | Decision-making level/job title |
| Company Values/Vision | |
| Conversion (what action do they take regarding your product/service) |
How do you identify your target audience?
Keep these things in mind when conducting your target audience research:• Be specific
No matter how much you might want to, you can’t appeal to everyone. You’ll end up casting a wide net, and the chances of really connecting with anyone are slim. If you focus on a specific target audience, your chances of success are much greater.• Clearly define your target audience
Divide the market into distinct groups. Think of men or women, older adults or young people, families or singles, etc. But don’t narrow your focus too much. The target audience needs to be large enough for you to recoup your investment.• Conduct a customer analysis and market research
Who are your customers, and how do you reach them? Create personas. These are fictional characters that represent the people you want to target. Research your customers and engage with them. Ask questions such as what their pain points are and where resistance lies in the decision to make a purchase. Also track your target audience’s online behavior and draw conclusions from it, for example using Google Analytics. Your target audience can be found on your website, but also on social media: which channels do they use?
Your target audience is never completely "set in stone." Changes are constantly happening—within your company, your industry, and your target audience. Stay well-informed and refine your target audience as needed, for example, annually when evaluating your marketing strategy.
