A big mistake many small businesses make is not identifying who their target audience is. They don't realise the importance of targeting a niche because they are scared of loosing other customers who aren't their 'ideal' client. But, creating a target audience does not mean you won't sell to any other group. In today's blog post, I will be discussing why identifying your target audience is important, what you need to know about your ideal customer and how to reach them. WHY BOTHER WITH A NICHE TARGET AUDIENCE WHEN I CAN TARGET EVERYONE? The point of having a target audience is to attract an entire group of people very well. When you target everyone, you end up targeting no one. Alternatively, if you try to target multiple niche groups, you end up with a confusing brand. That is often why you see people set up multiple shops if they are targeting different audiences or sell different products. The other end of the spectrum is that small businesses target a broad audience. For example, males in their 20's. If you talk to 50 different males in their 20's, they will all have differences. Not every 23 year old male is interested in the same thing, have the same fashion sense, watch the same TV shows etc. For example, if you're trying to promote organic beard serum to all males, those without a beard won't be interested because it won't be any use to them. Targeting men in their 20's with a beard will be a better marketing strategy. Even better, men with beards who prefer natural and organic products. Targeting all males will be a waste of time, and you will reach an audience who have no use for your product. Targeting men with beards who like organic products doesn't mean you won't reach other audiences. You could still reach men with a beard who have never tried an organic product, men with beards who are in their 40s, or even women looking for a gift for a man. But niche targeting means you reach a population of consumers who are interested in your product, rather than a lot of people who aren't. WHAT DO I NEED TO IDENTIFY? So, what exactly do you need to know about your target audience?
Get my FREE customer profile worksheet here to help you dig deep into your target audience! Additionally, you can use the what, why, where and how method. For this you need to identify:
HOW DO I REACH MY TARGET AUDIENCE? Now you've got a target audience in your head that follows all the above, you need to think about how to reach them. You need to get your product in front of the correct audience, and there are a couple of super easy ways that you are probably already doing (but maybe not as optimised as you should be!) 1) Keywords - This is particularly important in your Etsy listings. Using optimised long tailed keywords that will reach your target audience is so important. For example, let's say you sell printable wall art with a leaf design. You want to reach people who like leaves, but this isn't really a thing. Most people don't just really like leaves and that's it! People who like leaves could come under the category of 'nature lover'. So, let's expand on that. After some research, I can see 'Gift for nature lovers' auto populates in the Etsy search bar. This is a specific term that is actually being searched for by Etsy buyers. Using a term like this would allow you to reach nature lovers - and people who know a nature lover and want a gift! So, even though you have targeted a niche, you are still reaching either your target audience, or someone who is buying for your target audience. 2) Hashtags - Usually, hashtags are rather rushed. We stick them on the end of our Instagram captions and pick any that seem relevant. For example, #Etsyshop - In all honesty this is a pretty rubbish hashtag. Hashtags like these are commonly used because you are an Etsy shop. But, unless your target audience are Etsy shop owners, the majority of people who find you from a hashtag like this aren't going to be interested in your product. They may give you a follow because you have something in common, but we want followers who want to click the link and buy! There's nothing wrong with using a couple of hashtags that relate to Etsy - doing a little bit of networking isn't harmful - but you don't want to rely on these hashtags to get sales. So, using the example above, you could use a hashtag like #natureloverforlife to reach an audience who loves nature! Hopefully, you've learnt a little more about how to find and reach your target audience, and you can use the above to start getting organic traffic that are interested in your products! Who are your target audience, and how do you reach them? Let me know in the comments below! Want help identifying your target audience and specific methods of how to reach them? Check out my target audience planner here! With a guide and worksheets to help you tap into who your niche are and tips on how to reach them.
1 Comment
Rany Samrout
3/5/2024 11:03:43 am
i am working on gifting project medium to high , for GCC i am working one target audience ,
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