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Define your target audience!
23 May 2022
Defining your target audience and why this is important!
Why is it so important to know who your target audience is?
Knowing your target audience can give a business direction and potentially save the business money. It can help you speak to potential clients on the right platforms, in the right tone and build lasting relationships.
So, what is a ‘Target Audience’?
Here is a definition of a Target Audience:
“A target audience is a group of people identified as likely customers of a business. People in a target audience share demographic similarities, such as age, location, or socioeconomic status. Defining a target audience helps create more efficient marketing messages.”
As you can see a target audience is the demographic of people most likely to be interested in your business. These people are normally identified through similar demographic traits including, (this list is not exhaustive):
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Education
- Socioeconomic status
- Attitudes
- Beliefs
- Fear
- Aspirations
Knowing the attributes of your ideal customers allows you to speak to and influence them effectively through your marketing efforts. Your target audience is the people who are most likely to become your customers because they match your products and services.
Why define your ‘Target Audience’?
We know that this sounds challenging but the benefits of defining your target audience really do pay off. By understanding who you are selling to you can:
- tailor your marketing to make sure you are talking to them in a tone that they will respond to
- show empathy towards their problems or concerns
- ensure that you are talking to them through the right medium i.e., the correct magazines, website, social media platforms etc.
Identifying these factors could save you money and help your business to thrive.
The end goal of defining your target audience is to convert this group of people into loyal customers, who are enthusiasts of your company’s beautiful jewellery!
Remember, you can’t be everything to everyone! So, think hard about your business and brand. Focus on a core group of people and on delivering the best jewellery, service, and value for them.
Jewellers can have a few different target audiences, but it is important to understand which target audience you are communicating to at any given time.
So, where do you begin?
- Look at your existing customers.
Who are they? How often do they buy from you? What do they buy? How do they buy? (online, at your shop, at events etc.) What do they like about your business? What don’t they like about your business?
Also, how do you currently talk to your customers? Are they engaged? What social media platforms are they on? What publications do they read? Where else do they shop? What other websites do they look at?
By looking at your existing customers you can see the type of people that buy from you. This is a great starting point when thinking about your target audience.
It is also important to keep asking these questions as your business grows.
- Next, what are their aspirations and pain points?
Dig deeper by thinking about what your target audiences’ aspirations are? Do they follow celebrity culture? Do they want to keep up with the Joneses? Do they express themselves in the style of clothes they wear?
Also, think about their pain points: Do they struggle to buy a birthday present? Do they worry about what they look like? What are they concerned about? (the environment, finances, sustainability, mental health etc.)
Having a deeper insight into your target audience enables you to understand their perspective and helps you to demonstrate this understanding in your communication with them which, in the long term, will build trust.
- Your target audience in detail
Now it’s time to write down the details of your target audience including psychographics, and demographics and then finally develop a persona.
Remember to think about your existing customers and focus on what your target audience will look like.
Demographics: These are the facts:
- Age
- Gender
- Education
- Social Class
- Marital Status
- Location
- Buying Behaviour
Psychographics: These are their behaviours
- Attitudes
- Beliefs
- Fear
- Aspirations
- Lifestyle
- Interests
- Motivations
- Values
You can get this type of information through surveys and questionnaires. There are a variety of survey platforms available on the market.
Target persona: This is a fictional character which personifies your target audience:
- Personal characteristics
- Lifestyle
- Interests/Hobbies
- Social engagement and online behaviour
- Holidays
An example of a persona:
Jane Smith is a 45-year-old Customer Services Executive located in the South of England. Her interests are socialising with her friends, shopping, and spending time with her family. She loves a glass of prosecco. Jane is worried about getting older and works out at the gym twice a week. Her favourite TV show is ‘Made in Chelsea.’ She doesn’t have much time between her family, job and social life but she does like to ensure she has some ‘me’ time. Every weekend she catches up with her girlfriends and spoils herself either by shopping or visiting the spa. You can find her on social media and reading ‘Hello’ magazine. Every year Jane’s family goes on holiday with her best friend’s family.
By developing a persona, you have a very good idea of who you are communicating with and how to talk to them.
You have defined your target audience!
Top tip
Social media is an excellent way of finding out more about your target audience. You can monitor who they are commenting on and liking, and also get a sense of what they are thinking. This can help you understand their needs and wants!
For any jewellery business social media is a must, so just spend some time, and dig a little deeper to understand your customers more. You can then tailor your own business social media posts to talk to your audience in a meaningful way.
A word of warning!
Now that you have an idea of your target audience don’t forget that just because people don’t fit this profile, it doesn’t mean they will not buy from your business. It is essential that you periodically review your target audience to keep your marketing communications fresh.