Four Ways to Find Your Target Audience
If you’re in the information or service industries, whether you’re a course creator, service provider, or coach, knowing your audience is the secret to success.
(Honestly, this is true for all businesses marketing online, even product-based businesses).
But when you're early on in your business, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to find your audience.
However, with market research, social media insights, online communities and feedback, you can find your target audience.
Learning how to find and connect with your audience is critical throughout the life of your business. Your ideal audience may vary depending on your audience or your customer’s journey.
And as your business grows, so will your audience. You’ll want to stay connected with where your target audience currently is and what their needs are, regardless of how long you’ve been in business.
Who is your ideal audience?
Before we get started on the different strategies to find your audience, let’s start by identifying who your target audience is.
Who is your ideal customer or community? What do they do? What problems are they experiencing and what solutions are they looking for?
Now, let me be honest. Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t believe you need to do any of the ideal client exercises that you find online. Unless your product or solution is specifically geared toward a particular gender, such as new mothers, or an age group, like recent retirees, does that information really matter?
No, it doesn’t.
For example, I help entrepreneurs and small business owners create and develop content marketing strategies and practices to grow their businesses and increase their sales.
Do only women struggle with creating content? No. Do only 23-year-olds struggle with creating content? No. Do only people with Master's degrees struggle with creating content? No.
My point is to focus on the problem your target audience has and the solution that you can offer them. Not just on their demographics. Dig deep into that and you’ll find your true audience.
Now that you’ve established who your target audience is, let’s dig a little deeper into exactly how to find them.
Market Research
Market research is essential to finding and understanding your ideal audience.
It’s time to start digging into the data.
Google Trends, keyword research and social media analytics are your best friends here.
Google Trends shows you what’s trending. Type in words related to your industry and see what’s been trending in that area on Google. You can see trending topics, interest by geographic regions and related queries. You can narrow your results by time frame and other criteria.
Doing keyword research on sites, such as Ubersuggest, will also help you identify those keywords that are most relevant for your industry and audience.
Ubersuggest can also show you what keywords and content your competitors are creating. This can provide you with a wealth of ideas about what content is resonating for your own audience.
Social Media Insights
Each social media platform has its unique audience. Do some research and find out where the majority of your audience is hanging out. This is where you can focus your social media presence.
This is super helpful, especially if you’re just starting out or newer in your business. You don’t need to be everywhere. Chances are you don’t have the staff or bandwidth to even try that yet. Focus on where your audience is and master that platform first. Get that process humming and as automated as possible before you try to add another platform.
Listen and engage with your audience. Not just the ones that engage with your posts. Of course, you should be doing that.
Also find hashtags that your ideal audience may find relevant and research them. Find what others are posting using those hashtags. Dig into the comments of relevant posts and see what questions and comments their followers are making.
Most social media platforms offer insights into your followers. Use this data to understand their demographics, interests and when they are most active. This can help you tailor your content to them and increase your visibility.
Online Communities
Join groups where your ideal audience is on social media, like Facebook Groups or groups on LinkedIn is a great way to engage with your audience.
But don’t just lurk in the shadows. Actively participate!
This is how you can easily establish yourself as an expert in your niche. People love to follow those who help them.
Not only can you respond to questions and offer advice to establish yourself as a trusted authority in your niche, but you can also see exactly what kind of questions your ideal audience is asking.
You can deep dive into what their struggles are and position yourself as a solution. You can learn what words they are using and use them in your own copy to help you resonate with them even more. This allows you to adapt your strategy accordingly to serve your audience better.
You can also network in these groups and communities. Building relationships is the key here.
Collaborate with others, join forces on projects, co-create content and cross-promote content. This not only strengthens your authority, but it expands your reach.
Feedback
Feedback is an integral part of growing your audience and your business.
It shows you what you’re doing right and where you can improve. You can use surveys, email requests and even social media polls to collect valuable feedback from your current audience.
Learning more about where your current target customers are can help you identify more ways to find new ideal customers.
You can encourage your audience to provide feedback by offering incentives like discounts, freebies or even one-on-one time with you.
But don’t just collect feedback and forget about it. Take the suggestions and criticisms seriously. Implement changes based on what your audience wants.
After implementing feedback-based changes, track the impact. Did it resonate with your audience? Did engagement increase? Keep testing and finetuning your approach.
Finding your target audience isn’t just a one-time task; it’s an ongoing journey.
It’s about building real connections and delivering value consistency. It takes time, patience and a genuine interest in the people you serve.
Remember, it’s not just about getting more followers; it’s about making an impact. Be authentic, provide solutions and listen to your audience.
Keep evolving, keep learning and keep growing together.
Your target audience is out there, waiting to be found, engaged with and delighted by what you have to offer.
And once you find your audience, be sure to download the Ultimate Content Creation Checklist to help you consistently serve them and convert them into raving, loyal superfans.