When it comes to sales, few things are more important than knowing your target audience. While it would be nice if someone could just hand you a neat portfolio outlining one simple individual, there is a high chance that your target audience is more broad and complex—and understanding this can help you to make more sales. In this article, we will explore what you should ask in order to learn more about your target audience.
Who Is Your Target Audience?
The best place to start with your target audience is to consider a general buyer persona. If you are selling a product that is clearly beneficial to one group more than another, starting there can be a wonderful idea. Ask yourself who you picture your audience to be, then you can begin to determine the more specific details about these individuals as you go along.
What Do They Like?
An easy way to learn more about your consumer is to ask yourself what they like. Are they interested in certain kinds of music or products? Do they tend to gravitate towards certain genres in film or towards certain television shows? Learning more about what your audience likes will help you to better understand how to connect with them. For example, understanding that writers tend to love to drink coffee or tea can give you a solid base to speak to them more directly.
What Similar Industries Are They Interested In?
A lot of the time, people have industries that crossover with their other interests. For example, people who are really interested in thrillers or mysteries also tend to gravitate towards the true crime space. While each of these spaces is unique and technically separated, there is still a large overlap. This kind of data is available and can help you to find new ways to get in front of your audience. Understanding where certain interests intersect can be a great way for you to reach your audience more effectively.
What Kind of Budget Do They Have?
Budget is a crucial consideration when it comes to your target audience, and a lot of the time it can help you to filter out people who will not be interested in purchasing your products or services. More often than not, our budget determines what kinds of products we are interested in.
Knowing the general wealth of your audience can help you to appeal to them more directly. It means knowing that you likely won’t sell a luxury recliner to a college student in a dorm. Recognizing the budget of the individual can help you to understand what the commitment will mean, which in turn can help you to find ways to explain the value—and what makes the purchase worth it.
Where Do They Hang Out?
Your target audience is complex and likely has a long list of interests, but people always hang out somewhere. In the digital age, this is changing like never before. Now, online communities play a key role regarding where your target audience hangs out.
The place where your audience spends time might be as specific as a movie theater or as intangible as a space on the internet. When you know where they spend their time, you have a better chance to learn more about them in a natural setting, and you have the opportunity to get in front of them, too. Social media is a great place to gather consumer insights.
What Hobbies Do They Share?
The hobbies that are prominent with your target audience can tell you a lot about them and their future goals. With this information, you will stand a much better chance of making a pitch that will capture their attention. In the same way that you want to know what your consumer likes, you want to know how they like to spend their time. This will make it easier to connect with them. It can also help you to seek them out in shared spaces. If you can explain how your product or service will take them closer to their goals or passions, you will find a higher level of success when it comes to making the sale.
What Prominent Public Figures Interest Them?
Modern internet culture has completely changed the definition of what it means to be a public figure. Right now, people are popular on the internet in connection with every industry. There are people who run successful podcasts, people who create character costumes, and so much more. Your target audience likely values these members in their community, which can help you to learn more about their interests and values.
What Values Do They Share?
Values are a very important consideration when it comes to sales. If you don’t know your audience’s values, you will always run the risk of offending them or losing their interest. A group’s values should always be considered when making a sales pitch. Being aware of what they do and do not support can help you to reach them on an entirely new level. When companies fail to do this, customers take note. The same is true for individual sales.
What Demographic Markers Do They Have?
Demographics can help you to nail down specific groups and interests within your target audience. Your product might appeal to girls in their early teens, men who have a history of specific health problems, or even people who are a certain height. When you understand this, you can learn more about these individual groups and target them accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Your target audience is the group with which you will have the highest level of success, and knowing about them is critical to your success. With the right information, you will find that making sales becomes much easier. It gives you the blueprint on how to speak to them, and it can help you to make arguments that completely change the way that they feel about a product or service. The more you know, the more sales you will make. It is always good to act accordingly!
Drew Thomas
Drew Thomas is a graduate of Georgia College & State University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in English Literature. He is an expert in brand marketing and has experience in freelance writing on topics ranging from sports to music reviews. He has also spent time as an editor, having revised website copy and press releases for local businesses. In his free time, Drew enjoys performing music, reading, hiking, and spending time with friends.
