A lot of business owners make a huge mistake by not defining properly their target audience. They simply aren’t aware of their market or even worse: They think they are. However if you don’t know who is your potential client, how are you going to sell them a product or a service? How will you know where to find them and what language they speak? There is no point targeting everyone because we are all very different. Something that will be entertaining for an 18 year old, won’t appeal to someone in their 50s. Young people tend to be interested in different things than there parents. They use more informal language, they have different hobbies and they certainly use different social media platforms. This is why it’s so important. And although you’ll have to stereotype a little, this will really help you in creating a marketing strategy.

So how do we define the target audience? 

First, close your eyes and think about your products and services. Imagine a scenario where someone is purchasing them. Why are they buying them in the first place? People don’t buy things, they buy emotions. We all once bought something we didn’t need. Did you really need these extra pair of uncomfortable heels? Did you have to buy another video game? I know what you’re going to say, but the reality is that we buy things because we want them to make us feel in a certain way. We buy an experience, an emotion that will make us happy. People love buying things, so show them how they will feel when after they buy something from you. Will they feel relieved? Safe? Pretty? Remember you are not selling things, you are selling emotions. How will your customer be feeling when they buy your product?

Now, close your eyes again and carry on imagining your clients. The easiest step to define your target audience is to come up with a profile of your potential client. What is their name? Who they are? What do they look like? What is their age, gender, where they work, what is their income? Do they have kids? Do they drive? Do they work 9-5? Are they in a relationship? How do they like to spend their free time? What social media platforms do they use? Where do they look for answers when they have a question or a problem? What do they care about? What makes them laugh? And most importantly, WHY they desire your product or a service?

If you come up with a person’s profile, it’s much easier to figure out what they like and how to reach them. Having a narrow target audience will certainly maximise your marketing ROI.  You’ll be able to pick the right social media channels, create advertising that works and adjust your strategy based on your clients’ needs. This is why it’s crucial that you don’t target everyone but only people who matters the most. At the end of the day, you started your business to serve them. Don’t waste your time to persuade everyone to buy from you. Find people who already desire your products or services, talk to them and show them how they can feel after they finalise the transaction.