Do You Know Who You’re Targeting?

Taylor Wilson - November 19, 2009

MoreVisibility has been managing hundreds of company’s online marketing efforts for over ten years. Through the years we continuously stress the importance of knowing who your audience is. In order to best position yourself in the competitive paid search world and get the best ROI, you must first know who you are targeting. Your target audience is out there and looking for you, you just need to know how to capture them, and help them find you. Who you think you should target may not be who your target market really is. Knowing who to market to and how your competitors are marketing themselves will help you to create a more strategic paid search campaign. You are capable of reaching a worldwide audience 24 hours a day and seven days a week, but you need to know who in that audience you’re targeting.

The best way to establish who your target market is and how to position yourself to them is by conducting research. Conduct both primary and secondary research to evaluate and establish this. You can conduct polls or surveys of current or prospective clients to get a better understanding of your audience. You should network and use friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances and social media networks. Your relationships are invaluable resources when trying to figure out who your target audience is. It’s hard to take yourself out of the situation and look in from an outside perspective. Rely on your relationships to give you that outsider’s perspective. Read the industry newspapers or magazines that pertain to your particular trade. See what your industry is buzzing about and what the current marketing and advertising trends are. Research your competitors as well to see how they position themselves. Subscribe to industry blogs, feeds, discussion groups and forums to keep up with current market trends.

It is very important to tailor your online marketing campaign to suit the needs and wants of your target market. Keep your audience and market in mind when developing the website or landing page that will capture the paid search leads. Your website’s copy, navigation and aesthetics can be either positive or detrimental to successfully capturing your audience. It’s important to know who you are targeting when you are establishing your online presence. 

Knowing your audience is just the first hurdle in developing a strong paid search campaign. Always be sure to consistently ask yourself, does this properly suit the needs and wants of my target market?