Well, do you? I ask this question whenever I teach marketing or writing classes. It is one of the most important questions you need to be asking yourself when putting content together to sell or attract consumers. Whether you're a business owner or writing a book, article, blog etc the question needs to be asked and you need to be able to answer it.
How do you find your audience and how do you know if it's the right one?
Start off with the easy stuff like demographics, gender, age and geographic.Once you've created this, dig a little bit deeper. Think character biography, sorry it's the writer in me. This will include some research and time and if you know anything about me, I love research!
I like to begin by asking myself some questions... putting myself in the consumer, reader or client position. I am a firm believer in being relatable and you cannot do this without stepping into your audiences shoes. Always ask yourself questions. Why would I want to buy this? Why would I follow this page? Why this business instead of another one? AND also asking from a business perspective; What am I selling, who would want to buy it, why would they want to buy it? Answering these questions will help you narrow down your audience.
Once you've figured out who your audience is create your content around them. This can be difficult if you don't have a good understanding of who they are and sometimes that takes a bit of time and measuring of analytics. There is always a trial/error thing when it comes to marketing and writing the right content, but as you grow and get to know them things will fall into place. This is why I always suggest that Character bio. I am a visual person so writing things down allows me to get inside the head of my reader, buyer, client. I begin to see things through their eyes and thus I can create content for them.
NEVER assume your audience is dumb
It would be like if I wrote a science fiction novel. I don't write those and my audience is mostly women who like cozy mystery, romance and action themed books. I'd lose the audience I'd worked so hard to get and I'd have to build a whole new one but even worse is I've lost their trust. I shouldn't expect my other readers to purchase this sci-fi book. I've let down my audience who is comfortable with my books and writing but more importantly they expect me to deliver what I always have. The golden rule is this; once you have the audience, stay true to them, this doesn't mean you cannot grow together, but don't go off into left field and start marketing something that is not your brand, or books. They need to trust you before they will buy from you. If you break that trust you may as well pack up and go home.
Why is it important to know?
Let me put it this way; if you don't know who you're selling to how can you possibly market yourself or your business? You're wasting time and money. When I write, whether it's a blog post, article, book etc I always have an audience in mind. I write for them. I choose the words around them, the dialogue, the scenes and the subject. How can you write the proper ad copy, know what graphics will work best and what your consumers are looking for if you don't know who they are?
Going out on a whim may get you sales here and there but your method will fall flat and you will be back to square one as you run into lack of content. The real reward is tapping into the right people who will buy your products and building the relationship with them.
The takeaway...
Be relatable, have conversations and show them who you and your brand are. Build that relationship with your audience. After all that is why we all stick with a brand or author isn't it? Because we love what they stand for, love their product, love their voice and relate to them on some level.
Cheers,
