Determining the target audience is one of the most important aspects when developing a successful PR campaign. The target audience can be the key to the success or failure of your campaign.
In simple terms, the target audience is the intended viewer or reader of the assets you will produce for the campaign. The goal of having a target audience is to establish relevancy with people who are likely to become loyal customers and advocate for your brand. Because of this, the more specific your target audience is, the more effective your campaign can be.
It can be tempting to say that everyone is your target audience, but that is an unrealistic and expensive goal to reach. Not everyone is going to have use for or access to your product. Instead, narrow your scope and try to reach those who are likely to time or money into your product.
A target audience can be split into two categories, the decision-makers, and the supporters.
The decision-makers are the people who make the purchases. This person can be different from your target market. The supporter may not make the purchases but they are a heavy influencer on the decision. A good example of this is children’s toys. A child cannot buy a toy for themselves, but they can ask their parents for a specific toy. In this case, the parent is the decision-maker and the child is the supporter.
Now that we understand what a target audience is, let us dive into how you can find who they are.
Analyze your current customer/client base
If you already have a customer base or a social media following, take a closer look at who those people are. Are they primarily male or female? How old are they? Do these people travel a distance to come to you, or are they local? What is their education level? What are they reading or watching? All of these things can help you discover who your target audience should be and inform you on how, when and where to reach them.
Look up market research for your industry
If you do not have a customer base yet, try doing some market research. Look at other competitors in your industry and their customers to see who is likely to visit your business. Use Google Trends and other analytics tools to find out as much as you can about your potential customers and their consumer behavior. This data will help guide your campaign.
Know who your target audience is not
It is just as important to know who is not your target audience. Nobody wants to waste time and money trying to sell a product or service to someone who does not need it. Identify who your product can help, who can afford it and focus your effort on that audience.
Continuously revise
It is important to reevaluate your target audience on a regular basis because it can shift as your company grows. Set up checkpoints throughout your campaign to analyze the data you have collected. If you find that you may have missed the mark with your audience and are not seeing the results you hoped for, maybe it’s time to take a step back and rethink your approach.
Finding the right target audience can take a lot of time and effort. If you find you need more guidance Sammis|Ochoa is here to set you up for success. Reach out to us at www.sammisochoa.com/contact/ or visit our other blogs for more valuable PR insight.
By: Jocelyn Sandoval
Sammis|Ochoa is San Antonio’s fastest-growing public relations and digital marketing agency. It is the 2020 recipient of the TinyAward for Happiest Employees in Public Relations. It also ranks as one of San Antonio’s best PR firms by Design Rush. The firm is headquartered in San Antonio and serves clients in Austin, Houston and San Antonio. Email mario@sammisochoa.com or call 210.390.4284 to amp up your PR game!
