Identifying your core audience

For some businesses the core audience is obvious. Premium motor oil is for auto-enthusiasts, surf wax is for surfers, and Trix...they’re for kids.

But some industries, service industries specifically, have a harder time identifying their core audience.

“But my service could be of value to everyone!” 

Believe me, I’ve heard it before. Focusing on a niche can be worrisome. Are you limiting your business? 

The truth is that the more clearly you are communicating with a very specific audience the more likely it is that they will find you, identify with you, and in turn become clients. 

As an actor, many of my peers talk about their fear of typecasting. I heard one actor recently on a podcast who said that you should only worry about typecasting once your bank account is full. I love that sentiment. Get to the point that you have too many clients within a certain niche and then consider expanding.

So then, how do you find that super-specific audience and start communicating directly to them?

First, you’ve got to figure out your own self. How clear are you on what your core offer is? What major pain points does it solve? Have you identified your Unique Selling Proposition?

All of that information is vitally important to focusing-in on your target audience.

Seriously, sit down with a pen and paper and dig in. Which product is your bread and butter? If you only have one product, what feature is the main selling point? What sets you apart from your competitors? 

Once you have a firm grasp on your own products, a picture will begin to emerge of who that product might be for. If you know what pain points your product fixes, you can begin to pick out the people who are experiencing those problems.

Start making a list.

Next, go to your competitor’s website, and read reviews. You will be able to gain a wealth of information about who your potential clients may be. 

Add all that new information to the list.

Obviously, if you have already launched your product, you can solicit feedback from your own clients. Ask them what made them decide to pull the trigger? Ask them how it has helped? Find out if there were any unexpected benefits that they can throw into the conversation?

Keep adding to that list.

By now the list is probably starting to get unwieldy, but within it lies all the information you need to start to identify exactly who your target audience is. And, once you’ve identified who your audience is, you will know where they spend their time, and you can more effectively reach them with a message that you know is tailored just for them.

Now it’s time to build a Brand Persona, but I’ll leave that for another day.

If you have any questions or would like help finding your target audience, please feel free to reach out.

Now it’s your turn, how have you identified your target audience? Did anything above resonate with you? If so, please leave a comment down below.

#copywriting #coreaudience #sales #converting