When you’re ready to break into advertising and marketing, one of the things you’ll need to know is how to identify your target audience. Regardless of the age group everyone won’t be interested in the product or service you are trying to sell. If you need help understanding what motivates your customers to do everything they do, we have some tips for you.
Buying decisions can be daunting, with so many products in every category. There are many factors to consider because everyone looks at a potential purchase through a different lens. High school students generally have less income. College and university students with part-time jobs base decisions on what they can afford, whereas a young professional may choose based on the brand. These three target groups are all unique, and while they may use the same product, they won’t all respond to the same campaign.
Learning about the target audience is going to take some work. Even if you’ve prepared a detailed profile, you’ll still have to get out there to ensure it’s correct. Visit stores you think the audience will visit. Come with your student ID card and ask management for permission to ask questions to browsing customers. Be confident and respectful as not everyone will be willing to share their view. When you have someone interested in helping, ask the most important questions to get an idea of who your customer is and learn more about what motivates them.
With your newfound knowledge in hand, it’s time to prepare a snapshot of a day in the life. A day in the life is simply breaking down who your customer is in words. If your primary target is parents in their early 30s with young children, you might provide a snapshot of their week. You could start with the weekdays, which include work, cooking, and extracurricular activities, and contrast that with a snapshot of their weekend. The goal here is to show you understand who the customer is. You need to know what they think about, where they spend their money and time, and their priorities.
A flavour board is a composition of images prepared to present your knowledge and findings. It showcases that you’ve looked at the customer from different angles. Knowing your target means you know if they shop at department stores or specialty shops. You know the brands they gravitate to, electronic devices and social media channels they prefer, the restaurants they visit, and if they have a car or take the bus. Everything connects back to the unique image they want to present to the world, which makes them stand out. The flavour board is a composition showing popular careers, neighbourhoods, the values they personify, activities they like, and much more.
Use words, phrases or slang the target will resonate with your target in your campaigns. Know what they do in their free time. After all, you wouldn’t promote high-end jogging shoes to an avid swimmer or a country music festival to a heavy metal fan. You must know your customer, or you won’t know where to place ads to target them. Your success in marketing and advertising depends on how well you know the customer, so do your research because you’ll need to know them inside and out.
Whether you want to learn to play guitar, become an art director, host a podcast or anything else, while you may find people to help you along the way, no one is going to push you to succeed.
Whether your coffee chat is virtual or in-person, it goes without saying that you don't want to waste your connection's time – so come prepared. Take some time to write down specific questions to keep the conversation moving. It's a great opportunity for you to learn directly from a professional working in the business you want to get into – so don't waste it by coming unprepared.
Be curious, stay open to feedback, and never stop learning. Marketing is always evolving—what works today might not work tomorrow. Build your personal brand with authenticity and purpose.
