For a company to succeed, it must understand its target audience. Yet that can be one of the most challenging tasks to master. Alexandra Dinita, General Manager of Free Communication in Romania, shared some insight in a recent Public Relations Global Network blog post.
“One cannot generalize about “audience,” Ms. Dinita cautioned. “The very idea of an interlocutor, public or individual, is so nuanced and has so many underlines that it is virtually impossible, nowadays, to extract universal truths about a public, regardless of its type.”
What are some ways that a company can get to know their audience? Here are some suggestions from the BPR team:
“Familiarize yourself with your target market’s every move and every interest. If your demographic is high school males, build a unique marketing persona to help serve as a guiding blueprint for how you should communicate with them.” – Lauren Force, Account Coordinator
“Ask them — in a manner of speaking. There are analytics available through social media platforms, like age, location and gender. You can also go one step further by posting a variety of items to see what resonates. Does your audience respond more favorably to cute cats or cute dogs? If it’s dogs and you adopt out cats only, you’ve probably got to adjust your business model.” – Nicole Lasorda, Vice President
“A company can get to know its audience by actively engaging with its social media followers. The reason social media is such a powerful tool is that it’s one of the most efficient ways to start direct conversations with a target audience – something that many companies can’t afford to miss out on.” – Jen Tedeschi, Account Executive
“Take a look at competitors. Who is their audience? What is their brand strategy? What marketing tactics are they using that effectively reach their audience? This may help a company determine what works – and what doesn’t.” – Megan Keohane, Assistant Vice President
“Monitor your social and online presence and see how fans talk about your company or brand to understand their wants, needs and expectations. It’s just as important to research what your haters are saying to understand your weak spots and how you could potentially turn them into a fan.” – Katie Byrne, Account Coordinator
“Engage with your audience on social media. See what kinds of posts receive more engagement. Keep track of the type of responses you get. You can then tailor your social media campaign to the likes of your audience to create a mutually beneficial relationship: posts that appeal to your audience, and engagement for your content.” – John Reynolds, Senior Account Executive
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