How To: Find your target audience

Your brand should appeal to the people that you want to reach. Do you know who these people are? Determine the characteristics of the average viewer you want to engage.

1. Determine a demographic profile for your target audience.
   • Age: What is the age range of the population who needs your service?
   • Gender: Which gender would be most interested in this service?
   • Income: What is the income level of my potential clients?
   • Education: What level of education do they have?
   • Martial Status: What is their marital or family status?
2. Determine the values and lifestyle of your target audience.
   • What does your target market value most?
   • Where do they get most of their decision-making information? Do they research the Internet, newspapers, books, or television?
   • Are they first responders or followers? Will your target audience respond to something new, or wait for others to try it first?
3. Determine how you intend your target audience to interact with your service or product.
   • How will your target audience benefit from your service or product?
   • What do they like or dislike about your service or product in general?
   • Is this a product or service they need (helps fill a basic need, food, shelter, etc) or a luxury item (may increase quality of life, but not essential)?
4. Create a target audience profile. Using your answers from the above questions create a prototype person from your target market. Give him or her a name, an age, and a job.
   • Does he or she have a family?
   • If so, how many children does he have?
   • Where does she live?
   • What are her interests?
   • How much education does she have?
   • What keeps her up at night?
   • Write down the attributes of your prototype person.
   • When advertising and marketing, keep the prototype person you created in mind.

Read more: How to Find Your Target Audience

Source: eHow