Intrigue Media - Local Advertising

Developing Target Markets

Often, people describe target markets using descriptors like male or female, or families or couples, sometimes people use age, proximity or type of business, maybe even industry types. This is a good start, but we need to look deeper.

Many times, we witness ourselves targeting anyone that might want to use what we offer, and we forget that we want to focus our time and energy on finding the RIGHT customers, not just any customer. I am sure that you have some great customers ‘A clients’ and some not so great customers ‘C clients’.

So, what do those great customers look like?

Here are three methods you can use to profile your target markets to help you understand what your RIGHT customer looks like.

1) Demographics
This is probably the most used method for trying to create a target market. Characteristics like gender, age, income, education, geography, ethnicity and so on are used to filter out who do not want to speak to. The thing is, this dos tell us much at all with regard to our target market. Picture this; two mothers of two children each, each making the same amount of money, in the same community, with the same education, and both the same age. Now picture that one mother prefers to be frozen dinners and the other shops at the farmer’s market. Demographically identical, yet complete opposites from a consumer perspective. This means we need more.

2) Attitudes

This helps us understand how our RIGHT customers think. Think about your IDEAL customer, someone that works with you now, what do they look like? How do they think? What value do they perceive about you and your product or service? Do they value professional advice? Do they want the least expensive option? Do they want quick delivery? Are they too busy to do it themselves? Do they want special attention?

We need to ask them, “Why do you work with us?” and then write it down and ask the next IDEAL customer. Once we understand why our customers work with us, and who they are, we can begin to understand how to speak to them.

3) Situations

Typically, they are action triggers that put people into decision making processes regarding a purchase. A couple might by a new home and need to fill it with furniture. A high school student might be graduating, and need a dress for Prom. What are your action triggers? What situations are your RIGHT customers in, when they decide to buy from you?

Once we understand what action trigger makes someone want to buy, we can begin aligning ourselves with groups, events, or other businesses that deal with those action triggers.

A furniture store might create alliances with banks, real estate agents, or mortgage brokers. A dress boutique may approach the school board with a proposal for their students, or align with banquet halls in the area.

The idea here is that we need to spend time trying to understand our target Market. So much so, that we can determine where and how to communicate with our potential RIGHT customers. Not just any potential customer. The more time and energy we waste on targeting potential ‘C’ clients, the harder it is for us to grow our businesses the way we want to.