How To Identify Your Target Audience

[Dale King]

Many marketers have a difficult time figuring out who their target audience is. Unless you can do this successfully, your business is doomed to certain failure.

If you're having a hard time figuring out who your target audience is, the following information should help you:

1. Know Thy Statistics. Analyzing your statistical data is the easiest way to determine who's visiting your website, and where they go when they get there. For example, my log files indicate that "internet marketing" is most popular destination on my website. That tells me that my visitors are most interested in information and products related to internet marketing. That's my target audience.

2. Know Thy Competition. Another way to zero in on your target audience is to know who your competition is. For example, if you sell computer products or services, you should subscribe to computer magazines like SmartComputer.com, PCWorld.com, and ComputerWorld.com.

Study those magazines and pay close attention to those companies selling products or services similar to yours. From there you need to determine the needs of your target audience and how you can serve them better than your competitors. Perhaps you can develop a niche that isn't currently being served by your competitors.

You can use this process, regardless of what you're selling. First figure out your competition, and then study the trade magazines of that particular industry. Of course, depending on what your selling, figuring out your target audience can be a lot more involved. For example, figuring out demographics, etc.

This basic information is not intended to be a "be all, end all" solution. However, it's more than enough to get you started in the right direction.

Dale King