What is a Target Audience?

A target audience is the group of people you want to reach with your marketing. They are your ideal customer and the people you believe are most likely to buy your product or service. Focusing on your target audience helps you market better and get more results. 

One way to do this is by creating a customer persona. This is a made-up profile of your ideal customer. It helps you understand their needs and interests.

Imagine the type of person you believe would benefit from your product or service, then ask yourself the following questions:

• How old are they?
• Where do they live?
• What kind of job do they have?
• What do they like?
• What problems do they have, and how does my product help?

Synonyms

• Intended audience
• Focus group
• Target market
• Key audience
• Niche audience

Types of Target Audience

The types of target audiences are the different ways of identifying the target population for your campaign. Here are some common types:

Demographics

Demographic segmentation separates a market into smaller groups. Depending on variables such as age, race, gender, marital status, income, education level, and country.

This strategy is one of the most used for defining a target market. Since the necessary data can be obtained easily through censuses, market surveys, and analytical tools.

Every demographic variable has a big impact on customer preferences and behavior. For example: 

• Age: Age groups might differ greatly in their product choices. While older retirees would probably be more interested in printed books, Gen Zers are more likely to prefer digital apps.
• Gender: Men and women can have different tastes when it comes to fashion, cosmetics, and health items. The marketing methods used for each gender are different.
• Income: A person’s budget affects what they can afford. Some can buy luxury items, while others look for affordable options.

Purchase Intent

This describes customers who are searching for a certain product but would like further information beforehand. For example, people researching laptops, smartphones, or cars would fall under this category.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle segmentation groups consumers based on their interests, values, and daily activities. This category deals with subjective interior factors that might be more difficult to measure. It is less clear than demographics. Customers' lifestyles frequently mirror their goals and self-image.

For example,

• Frequent travelers may prefer experiences over material goods.
• People who are passionate about fitness might prioritize health-related products.
• Eco-conscious consumers tend to support sustainable brands.

Interests

This information is related to people's interests and hobbies. Understanding this information helps you uncover customer motivation and habits. It’s a great way to create a deeper connection with your audience.

For instance, those who ride road bikes for fun are probably most interested in new models in the spring when the weather becomes warmer and the road racing season starts.

Subculture

Subcultures consist of individuals who share specific experiences, beliefs, or hobbies. These could be based on music, gaming, fashion, or entertainment preferences.

People use their subcultures to define who they are, and businesses can leverage those subcultures to know who to target.

For example, brands like Netflix cater to different subcultures through targeted content categories, such as Netflix Family for parents.

How To Find Your Target Audience

Research, data mining, listening, and a little bit of creative thinking are all necessary to identify your target market. Here are some key steps to identifying your target audience: 

Use market research

Conducting market research is important if you want to stay updated on developments in your sector and how they're impacting customers. You can learn more about the problems, needs, and purchases of your possible target audience by conducting market research. 

Analyzing rivals is another essential component of market research. You need to analyze the target audience of your competitors as well. Look at who they are targeting and how they are engaging with their audience.

Dig into your business intelligence

Business intelligence draws insights from both internal and external data sources. It helps you identify and refine your target audience. By analyzing this data, you can make more informed marketing decisions. 

If you discover you have multiple target audiences, business intelligence helps tailor your strategy effectively.

Tap Voice of Customer data

Your Voice of Customer data captures both direct and indirect feedback from current and potential customers. This can be gathered from various sources, including reviews, social media comments, and surveys. 

This data helps clarify your target audience, their identities, and key subgroups. You need to analyze the data you receive. Examine the queries, complaints, and compliments for trends, and look for patterns in demographics like age or location that align with those insights.

Make use of social listening

Social listening involves monitoring the discussions that your target audience is having about your brand and related subjects. It helps you know the opinions of your target audience and look out for emerging trends.

You have to go beyond simply tracking brand mentions. Analyzing the context helps you understand the true intent behind each statement. Use these insights to segment your target audience and refine your approach.