One of the first things that any business owner has to do is to figure out who their target audience is. As very few products are marketable to all people of all genders and all persuasions figuring out what demographic to pursue is important. After figuring that out comes the hardest part of all, knowing how to pursue that demographic effectively and turning them into customers.
Every generation is different. Our most elder generation are more comfortable receiving advertisements through the mail or over the phone and quite possibly have never touched a computer or only have a limited knowledge. Heading to the other end of the spectrum the youngest generation are attached at the hip to the phone and probably know of no other way to get advertising other than maybe the TV.
Knowing what audience you want to reach is half the battle. After all, if you are marketing let’s say beef jerky to a vegan you are wasting your time. Who is going to use this product? What age group or gender would want your product? What is your potential market’s buying power? What is the preferred marital status? What region geographically would the product work best in? After all a 16 year old high school male is going to have different needs and tastes than a 22 year old female recent college graduate or a 65 year old recent retiree.
Some experts recommend using the funnel approach to help narrow your audience. Use the first funnel to determine which gender you want to market to. The next could filter out your age range. Another could be income level. You can have as many funnels as you need and the can be placed in any order. After going through the funnels you will arrive at your target audience.
Having a website that can market your products is the best way to start and that is available for everyone to see but at the same time your customers have to find you. Social media can be a great place to reach your target audience. Having a presence on the social media platforms is not only a cheap way to advertise it is also an easy way to find people who are interested in what you are selling and even to market to certain age groups. Millennials tend to have Snapchat accounts so if they are your target audience you should get an account with them and engage with them there. Also since you know what audience is being targeted you can create content on your website targeting them so that they know what you offer and how and why it can make their lives better. That is a great way to improve your SEO and hopefully turn those views and clicks into conversions.
Now just because you have determined your target audience does not mean that they will be the only people who are buying your product. There are more organic ways to determine who exactly is interested in what you have to offer. Surveys can be conducted, friends and acquaintances can be asked and chances are someone somewhere offers a comparable product that you can see who is buying it. You may be able to unearth a hidden market, that while not your primary target audience, may be able to help supplement your sales.