Targeting your Target Audience

Most of us think we know who our target audience is. A friend of mine who sells a line of magnetic wellness products including insoles recently stood up at a business networking meeting and stated that his target audience is "anyone with feet". While it got a good laugh and a few people (with feet) approached him for business afterwards, it got me thinking that really, his target audience is smaller than he stated. Here's why.

Let's start with the product. These magnetic insoles are said to have general wellness effects produced by stimulating the reflex points in the sole of the foot with a magnetic field. The insoles also have little bumps on them which give the foot a mild "massage" when walking. While they don't claim to cure anything, they are products which promote balance and wellness and make the user's feet feel better. So, who's going to use this product?

There are over 6 billion people with feet on the planet. My friend can sell only to people in the United States and Canada, which effectively reduces his market to approximately 380 million people. Next, he has to find people who fit the following criteria:

• are Internet users
• are on their feet a lot and suffer from some form of foot discomfort
• are willing to use alternative therapies
• believe in the theory that magnets can promote balance and wellness
• believe that these insoles can help them
• have enough disposable income to spend around $90 Cdn. on magnetic insoles

The number of people he can actually sell to is much smaller than 6 billion, although it's probably in the tens of millions. However, many businesses make assumptions about their target audience and make assumptions about its size or its general demographic or psychographic characteristics. If you make the wrong assumptions about who your target audience is, you will take the wrong actions to reach them and consequently, your results will be very different from what you expected.

Once you have defined the major characteristics of your target audience and its many subcategories, you will be better able to promote your product to them in ways that they can relate to. You will also have a good idea what their interests are and where they can be found on the Internet, allowing you to reach them with your powerful promotional messages. With the right research and knowledge of your audience, you will begin your journey to success in the right direction.

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