The 5 W’s of Identifying A Target Audience for Your Online Marketing
The 5 W’s of Identifying A Target Audience for Your Online Marketing
September 30, 2014
In order to have a successful advertising campaign, it is extremely important that you know your target audience. Not only should you know your audience, you should know how to target them.Defining the target audience for your marketing can help you tailor content like social media posts, paid advertisements, photos and videos, as well as help you determine which marketing methods may be most beneficial to your business. Targeting the right consumers can make your money spent in advertising go a lot further. In order to identify your ideal target audience you have to answer the 5 W’s: who, what, when, where, and why.Figure out who your current target audience is. They can help you gauge your audience now and give you further insight.Who do you want to buy your product or service? Use this to help expand your customer base, but don’t forget to make it realistic. What are your customers’ backgrounds? Identify specific characteristics among your target audience such as gender, age, education level, hobbies and interests, etc. What do they buy? Do they buy more of a certain product than others? Identifying your best-sellers can help you make smarter inventory decisions. In addition, it can help shape your message in order to reach more consumers who may purchase these items as well.When do customers buy your product? Is it during a specific time or throughout the year? When do consumers interact with your brand? Monitoring when your fans interact with your social media posts, can help you plan a schedule of when to post in order to receive the most visibility and engagement.Where do your customers live? Knowing where your customers are from can greatly impact your targeting efforts. Geographic targeting in search and display advertising can help you generate qualified leads by displaying your message to the audience in your service area. Where did they discover you online? An easy and effective way to identify your target audience is to find out where your current customers first discovered your business. Whether from search engines, local directories, online review sites, social media, or word of mouth, knowing where they found you can help you plan where to focus your targeting efforts.Why do they buy?Most purchases can be classified into needs and wants. Knowing your products and services and why customers purchase them can provide additional insight into your target audience.Why do they buy from your competitors? Customers have multiple choices when buying today. Understanding why your potential customers buy from your competitors over you can help you shift your approach to reach them, engage them, and convert them into new customers.On Campus Advertising can help you identify your target audience and customize a campaign used to target specific audiences within the different colleges.
