How To Attract Your Target Audience

One of the key necessities in eCommerce is to be able to find your target audience. These are where your rich leads will come from, and this is the community you need to foster in order to ensure your business thrives long term. Finding your target audience means finding shoppers that aren’t just a ‘one-off’ but who make your business a priority. So how do you attract them?

What Is A Target Audience?

Let’s take a deeper look at what your target audience is. They are the primary intended consumers of your product. For example, if you have a business that sells vegan products: vegans are your target audience. 

If your company sells swimwear, then your ideal audience are those who live in hot countries, or who plan on going to vacation. If your product is a board game, then gamers are your target audience. They are people who will be interested in what it is you are selling.

This audience exists, the trick is to help them to find you. 

How Can I Identify My Target Audience?

In the examples given, the target demographic is quite clear. However, if you launch a bookstore, or a clothing line, or a new food product; it can be less clear who your target audience is.

One way you can figure this out is through doing a demographic analysis. Identifying statistics such as:

• Age
• Gender
• Geographical location
• Vocation
• Time spent on site
• Other related searches

Are all useful statistics in order to put together a picture of who your shoppers are. These demographics can be gathered via social media, your website, Google analytics or any other method. 

Researching Your Target Audience

These demographics can be useful, but psychographics can take your understanding of your audience to the next level. Psychographics are information on shoppers from a psychological perspective, such as their attitudes and aspirations.

This data is gathered through research. In order to understand demographics, research is vital. Market research can go a long way, and buyer personas should be developed. These are the creation of a profile of your ideal customer.

For example if your regular customer would:

• Engage with social media
• Repeat purchase (or have a subscription)
• Leaves reviews
• Regularly checks your website

You need to ask yourself: which kind of customer or person would do this? Based on what your product is and customers you know that already do this, you can draw up the ideal buyer persona in your head.

Once you have this in mind, you can start to cater your product subtly to their needs. This should not come at the exclusion of everyone else, but the more emphasis you put on the buyers’ needs, the more similar buyers you will attract.



How Do I Gather The Right Information?

There are multiple ways that you can gather the information needed to appeal to your target audience. Some examples are:

• Surveys/Quizzes
• Competitor research
• Existing audience base research
• Online forums

It’s worth investing in finding out who your ideal audience is, because it has the power to transform your business. 

Attracting Your Target Audience To You

So now you know how to understand who your target audience is: how do you get them to you? Well, the good news is that simply identifying them is most of the battle won. Once you know who your target audience is, it’s a lot easier to attract them towards you. 

Targeting your marketing, merchandising and social media to meet this group’s needs will go a long way. Relevant blog posts and marketing campaigns will reach those in need. Paid advertisements via social media to meet certain audience segments will send you in the right direction.

Since you know who your ideal audience is, you can select these groups to be the ones that receive the advertisements. This saves you time and money, as it’s a cost effective way of reaching the right audience.

Marketing via SMS and email can also be used to stay in contact, or to reach out to customers that are relevant. Overall your whole business strategy can improve by making sure that your product or service is being presented to the people who want and need it.

Attracting your target audience seems hard, but the key is to know who your target audience is. Your business strategy should be catered to their needs; not to the exclusion of anyone else, but certainly with a clear focus. Once you streamline your marketing and outreach efforts, you can watch as your target audience starts to appear more at your doorstep.