Defining your target audience - without stereotyping Soccer moms. Millennials. Tweens. It’s tempting to narrow your target audience down into groups. But targeting a generic audience is rarely effective. To talk to your customers properly, you need to go beyond stereotypes to understand them. Though demographics are a good start, you also need to dig deeper to know why your customers live and act the way they do. Let’s take a look at how you can get to know your customers as real people.

Generic audiences are hard to market to, and many other brands will be targeting them too. Find your own, specific audience instead.

Narrow down definitions Take generic definitions, and start refining them.

Instead of large age groups like 18-49, look at specific age ranges like early 20s or early 30s. Look at where your target audience is. The city, suburbs, countryside, abroad?

Establish what education level your target audience has. High school, bachelor’s, master’s? Clarify what type of job your customer has. Professional, blue collar, business owner?

Go beyond demographics Now it’s time to think about the real stuff - lifestyles and emotions.

Look at what type of hobbies your audience has. Are they into arts? Science? If they had more free time what would they do? Research your audience’s values. What do they believe in? Honesty, community?

Establish how they view your business or product. Are you a necessary evil? An indulgence? What would they say your product does for them? How do your customers usually feel on a normal day? What motivates them?

Remember, your target audience is not necessarily the same as your competitors’.

Your audience research checklist

I’ve got demographics - but much more as well I’ve thought about how my audience sees the world and my business I’ve considered my audience’s mindset, motivations and desires I’ve researched my theories about my customer and backed them up with data I’ve defined a clear, narrow audience

Once you’ve got a clear picture of your target audience you’ll be able to reach customers better, and stand out from competitors while you’re doing it.

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