Whether it’s an idea, product or a service, we all want to sell something. We all want to attract a lot of customers so we can grow our businesses. However, it’s not that easy to stand out among the competitors. Especially a lot of businesses owners make a huge mistake by not understanding who is their target audience. Unfortunately, unless you truly know who is your client, you won’t be able to sell your products or services to them. Frankly, if you don’t know what they like, what they find funny and what are their interests, how are you meant to know how to grab their attention? And let me be clear: this is crucial in every marketing strategy. This is the first thing you should consider before you even start thinking about your business name. a lot of businesses owners make a huge mistake by not understanding who is their target audience.
When I ask clients who are their target audience, the majority of them replies: “Everyone who…”. This is the moment when I need stop them immediately. If you are one of them, you should know that everyone is not your audience. In fact, if you want to attract everyone, you won’t have big chances of succeeding. If you think about it, we are all different. We speak different languages, we dress differently, we have different hobbies, different jobs and different problems. In order to win your customers over, you need to understand them and provide them with a solution to their problem. That’s why you need to find out what they like, what they find funny and what’s important to them.
Still not convinced? Let me give you an example: Imagine that you sell clothes in an online store and your target market are teenagers whose parents have a high disposable income. Although their parents are the ones with the wallet, you need to attract the attention of their children. In order to win them over, you would have to appear cool and trendy. You would have to be present on social media platforms they use, speak their language and provide content they would find interesting.
Let’s think now of another scenario. Imagine that your target audience is older women with a lower income. Would you still speak to them using slang? Would you still try to appear cool to them? Would your target audience prefer to look trendy or elegant? Would they buy your clothes for a special occasion or for work? There are a lot of factors to consider but once you know what goes behind someone’s purchase decision, you’ll know how to advertise your products to them.
A lot of people worry about narrowing their target audience. But if you think about it, with over 7 billion people in the world, you can really focus on the right customer segment for your brand. Once you decide that, you can then create a strategy tailored to them. Make it personal and meaningful. Post content on social media people can identify with. Be relevant and consistent. It’s not about you or your business. It’s about your customers. And let me tell you a secret: people don’t buy things, they buy emotions. A woman isn’t buying another pair of shoes because she doesn’t have anything to wear. She buys them because they make her feel in a certain way. People don’t go to restaurants just because they are hungry but for an experience. If you know your audience, you’ll be able to find out the real reason why they want to buy a product or a service. Give them emotions they desire and they will choose you over your competition.
