Target group – how to effectively define yours
Analysis and proper selection of the target group is a very important element of any marketing strategy. In this article, we present how to define the profile of the ideal customer and why it is worth doing. We invite you to read!
What is a target group?
Target, or in other words, the target group, is a group of people who may potentially be interested in a company’s offer. Companies direct their messages and marketing activities to these prospects.
Without a proper targeting, your marketing efforts will be less effective.
A message addressed to everyone, such as a TV ad or a large banner placed on a busy street, are forms of communication that do not reach a selected target group, but the general public. The message is usually tailored to a specific prospect, but it still reaches everyone, and in these promotion channels it cannot be avoided.
Many people may see such an ad, but few will be interested in it and persuade them to make a purchase. Such promotions are aimed more at building brand awareness among consumers, not actual sales (although our grandmothers probably still buy products recommended on TV 😉).
That is why analyzing the target group is a very important element of an effective marketing strategy, especially for companies that promote themselves on the internet. Based on a properly selected target, you can create every message addressed to the prospect – an advertisement, a product or category description, a blog article, or even the brand name. If the message is not tailored to the customer, the prospect will not identify with your company and will probably look for another seller.
Target group – how to define it
A key element of effective marketing communication is defining your recipient. This informs how we formulate content and what promotion channels we use.
The message addressed to a young mother will be completely different than the one aimed at a 50-year-old car enthusiast.
In order to accurately select a target group, 4 basic criteria are used: geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral, which we discuss below.
Geographic criteria
This determinant, as the name suggests, determines the geographic location of our target group. It can include::
- region – a specific country, province, state,
- place of residence – village or city,
- city size – e.g. up to 100 thousand or up to 500 thousand inhabitants,
- distance – e.g. from the company’s headquarters.
Demographic criteria
This is the main information on the basis of which companies can determine the most important characteristics of the prospects to whom they want to direct their message. Among the many demographic criteria, we can distinguish:
- age,
- gender,
- income,
- education,
- occupation,
- marital status,
- nationality,
- household income,
- social class,
- religion,
- generation, e.g. baby boomers, X or Y.
Psychographic criteria
Thanks to these determinants, we can describe the recipient based on their propensity to buy. Using this criterion in creating a target group allows us to reach people who will be more open to the presented product or service. Here, we distinguish::
- lifestyle,
- personality,
- values.
Behavioral criteria
They describe members of the target group based on their behavior towards your company, as well as the way they receive the marketing message. Behavioral criteria include:
- attitude towards the product,
- brand loyalty,
- readiness or lack thereof to purchase the product,
- product features,
- user status (whether a given person has or has ever had a product of this brand)
- intensity of product use,
- recipient’s activity on the Internet,
- special occasions (situations that may influence the purchase).
Target group – customer example
Demographic aspect: Married woman aged 18-35. Has secondary or higher education. Works and earns N205, 000-500,000 net.
Geographic aspect: Lives in a city with over 1,000,000 inhabitants in Lagos, P/H or FCT .
Psychographic aspect: Mainly spends time with family, but in her free time meets with friends. She recently moved to a new apartment, so she spends money on interior design.
Behavioral aspect: Uses the Internet most of the day because she works remotely. She has interacted with the company because she has already purchased one product and uses it often. The probability of making another purchase is high.
Benefits of a properly selected target group
Precisely defining the target audience brings mutual benefits, namely:
Prospects do not have to watch more ads that do not interest them at all. Properly selecting the target group allows for directing a message that meets the needs and interests of the consumer.
Entrepreneurs do not waste time or money on running ineffective campaigns and displaying ads to people who are not interested in them. Precisely defining the target and reaching potential customers with an effective message can significantly increase the conversion rate and translate into the company’s profits.
See also
Matching the language of communication to the target group
Appropriately selected vocabulary for a specific target group is an extremely important issue. We speak differently to our child, differently to our employer, and this is natural for each of us. The same is true for the language used in the message to the target customer.
If we are sending a message to a future mother looking for a pram, we should write a text that meets her needs. We present specific information that may be important when choosing a pram and we make sure that the language of the message is clear and relevant. We avoid youth slang and industry jargon that may discourage the customer from making a purchase.
Properly selected communication media
We cannot reach every customer in the same medium. If your target group is based on people aged 60+, you will probably not present your ad to them on Instagram or Snapchat. For them, the message in the press, radio or television will be more appropriate.
Analysis of data about the target group
Sometimes our assumptions about the target group may turn out to be wrong. Therefore, it is worth using tools that will show you who the company’s customers really are. If you have your own website, the you can use the information collected in Google Analytics.
It is similar in the case of running a company page on Facebook. In the “target group statistics” tab, you will find a lot of interesting data about your customers.
Summary
- The target group is a group of people who may potentially be interested in the offer of a given company.
- To define the target group, 4 basic criteria are used: geographical, demographic, psychographic and behavioral.
- It is very important to choose the right language and communication channel for a specific group of people.
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