Who is your Target Audience?

When thinking about audience you may think of an image of a theater filled with patrons, applauding at the end of the play.  Maybe you think of a television show being taped before a live studio audience and the on queue laughter or clapping that fills the background of your favorite sitcom.  However, audience can mean something different when referring to the world of marketing.  Start with one of the many definitions, “the people giving or likely to give attention to something”.  So as you are breaking down your strategies for advertising or marketing your business, think about that definition.  Who is giving attention to your business?  Who is your audience?

Once you figure out who your audience is, through marketing research, surveys or internet analytics, then you can figure out how to properly reach them through.  For example, the 75-year-old man who wakes up each morning and drinks his coffee while flipping through the local paper is going to respond to a newspaper advertisement, versus the college student who spends 50% of their time on the internet and therefore is more likely to watch a YouTube video.  In the year 2018, the possibilities are endless.  Here are just a few ideas to help get you get on the right path.

1. Television – What Gen X’er doesn’t tune into the news multiple times a day or at least weekly to catch up on their favorite shows?  By running a commercial during peak programming that specifically caters to your audience, you can easily grab their attention.  With specific branding and eye catching advertisements, it’s hard for people to ignore what is right in front of them!  Just think about that carpet cleaning jingle that is still in your head from last week or the time you caught yourself quoting a beer commercial in front of friends.  It’s effective, in your face marketing.

2. Radio – One of the most consistent forms of reaching out to your audience has always been and continues to be radio.  In America 90% of people over the age of 12 tune in weekly to a local radio station and over 50% of the country subscribe to a radio streaming service or tune in online to a site such as Pandora, according to Leighton Broadcasting.

3. Newspaper – Some may say this is old fashioned or out of date but not for the traditionalist.  Although not as popular today as it was 20 years ago, print media is still the choice of many to get their daily information. According to our source at PewResearchCenter, 23% of Americans still read print newspaper.

4. Social Media – The best way to reach people in this modern era.  According to Wikipedia, over 2.7 billion people are using the internet daily throughout the world and more than half of those people have social media accounts.  With more and more social media platforms making it easier to run advertising that can potentially reach thousands or more, this seems to be where many are looking to reach their business audience.

5. Direct Mail – Don’t rule this oldie but goody out either.  A recent example of this being effective would be all the political mailings that flooded mailboxes across the nation in the last election cycle.  Bold, colorful and sometimes blunt paper mailings came daily to many mailboxes.  Just in the walk from your box to the front door, you probably read some or all of these.  They are quick and to the point, using graphics to grasp the viewers’ attention.  Or maybe you have received an envelope full of coupons to local businesses.  The USPS offers quick, easy ways to for you to log online and get your mailings started.  With convenience like that and a proven track record, it’s no wonder this still works for many businesses!

UNIFY marketing and technology solutions is prepared to help you effectively target your audience through traditional channels or digital marketing avenues.