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Your
Target Audience – Who Are They & What Do They
Want?
by
Karon Thackston © 2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com
It
still amazes me. When I write copy for a company, I
always ask about their target audience. I have to know
who I’m writing to in order to create a message
that will bring a response. But about half the time,
the client is absolutely stumped about who their target
audience is and what they want.
At the risk
of sounding like a broken record, I’ll say it
again: “You have to know your target audience
before you can advertise effectively.”
It just makes
sense. How can you deliver what the customer wants unless
you know what that is? How can you present a message
in a way the customer will respond to unless you know
their communication style? Bottom line… you can’t.
So
exactly how do you find out who your target audience
is and what they want? It’s actually easier than
you might think. Here are my top seven ways to define
a target audience. Each is quick, simple, and free/cheap.
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1.
Ask. Devise a survey or questionnaire and send
it out to those people who you think *might* be interested
in your product or service. Take a week or two to write
a list of questions that you’d love to have the
answers to; then create an online survey, and send out
the link. Be honest. Tell the people why you want the
information and what you plan to use it for. Also remind
them that the survey is completely anonymous.
If you really
want to boost responses, offer a prize drawing. Perhaps
you could give away an Amazon gift certificate to one
lucky winner.
TIP:
I use Survey
Monkey because they have the easiest and most flexible
tools I’ve found. Not to mention, for surveys
that only need 100 responses or less… it’s
FREE!
2.
Read. Pick up some industry trade magazines
or newspapers from your local newsstand (or read them
online). Especially look for the Letters to the Editor
section. This is normally where folks “sound off.”
It’s a great place to get some fresh insight on
what your target customer is thinking.
3.
Lurk. Visit online forums that are directed
at people in your target audience. No need to post a
message… just hang out and see what others are
saying. This is another wonderful place to get insights
on what people in the real world are thinking.
4.
Visit. Stop by some of the places your target
customers might visit. Are you selling back supports
to truck drivers? You might need to visit a few truck
stops. Just sit back, order the lunch special, and keep
your ears open!
5.
Talk. Want to know the biggest complaint about
retaining wall contractors? I actually had to find this
one out for a client! Talk with those who would hire
a retaining wall contractor. I jumped on the telephone
and made a few phone calls. Amazingly enough, almost
everyone I spoke with had the same complaints. I was
able to use that information to position my client in
the best possible light before his target audience!
6.
Join. Local associations create a tremendous
environment for people to express their opinions, discuss
pressing issues, and solve problems. Don’t join
the ones that fit YOU best, however. Join the ones that
your target customers would join!
7.
Think. Put your thinking cap on, and come up
with more ways to get to know your target audience.
Perhaps you could visit a company that falls within
your target customers’ line of work, and observe
them for a few hours. Maybe you could host a free conference
call where people within your audience could voice their
opinions. With a little creativity, you’ll have
all the ins and outs of your target customer nailed
in no time!
Want
to know the four personality types and how to get each
to respond to your copy? Karon can show you! Get that
information and tons more at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.
Also subscribe to Karon’s FREE ezine: Business
Essentials at http://www.marketingwords.com/ezine.html.
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