As an online marketer, you want to reach people, the right people that is. Because you can shoot blanks and hope you're in the right direction, but if you don't reach the right people, all your online efforts will have been for nothing. Fortunately, there is a solution to this and it comes in the form of a target audience analysis.
Isn't that actually a bit of a given? Of course. But still, there are plenty of companies that don't have a good idea about their target audience. Or at least do not have a good idea about their target group when it comes to the online marketing plan. Because having an idea of your target audience is, of course, one thing, but knowing how to reach them through online marketing efforts is quite another. We are happy to explain how.
What is a target groep analysis?
Target group analysis is nothing but research into factors such as demographics, language, location, preferences, interests and other statistics within a certain group. This group is obviously leading for your business activities, but that does not mean that the online target group is immediately exactly the same as your general target group. You might want to target a sub-target group with an online marketing campaign, which will suddenly make the whole interpretation look completely different. Nowadays, to arrive at a target group, we can go in depth. While traditionally we were hugely limited, today we can let our imaginations run wild.
Does your online target group consist of single women aged between 18 and 35? These days, you can just as easily focus on a target group consisting of single women aged between 18 and 35, from the The Hague area, and who also love Mediterranean cooking and running. The time when analysing a detailed target group like this was a utopia is now thankfully over. The fact that you can also adjust the target group at just about any time makes for a lot more flexibility and convenience. Make use of it, we would almost urge you.
Why a target group analysis?
Why conduct a target audience analysis? Let's fall into a stereotypical marketing strategy for the sake of convenience. You know the well-known marketing funnel: you start at the top with awareness and interest, then it's all about turning that back into something tangible: an action. After all, you want to be noticed and an action to be taken. In the best case scenario, we are talking about a purchase or a reservation, for instance. Each of these stages requires a different type of approach, because someone who is already at the bottom of the funnel can be approached in a completely different way (e.g. via a remarketing campaign) than someone who has never seen or heard anything about your company (e.g. a video campaign). To ensure conversions, you therefore need to know not only who your target audience is, but also what stage the potential customer is in. So target audience analysis is all about being specific and flexible. And isn't that something most online marketers love?
Where do you get the data from?
Dragging phone surveys, piles of documents and hiring an external maths wizard to arrive at the required data? Fortunately, today there is the internet and a lot of the work has already been done for you. Thanks to the tremendous pace at which data can be collected today, it gets a whole lot easier for the online marketer. For example, you can already get a long way (especially at the top of the marketing funnel) by consulting the following sources:
1. GOOGLE ANALYTICS
A good example is people looking to buy a car or looking for a hotel in a specific city. They have already searched extensively for options online, compared the options amply and even read some reviews - all indications that they are actively looking for a specific product or service. The great thing is that this kind of search behaviour is all tracked by Google. Count your chances.
2. FACEBOOK INSIGHTS
With Facebook search behaviour, page likes, interests and other self-reported information, you can also do a lot of things with Facebook. As an advertiser, you can view data on things like demographics and hobbies that help you form a more complete picture of who your target audience is. The fact that you can also set up filters manually ensures that you can segment on the latest trends, for example. So you are always up to date and the first to address your target group.
3. INSTAGRAM INSIGHTS
While normal Instagram profiles do not have access to analytics, business profiles do again. An Instagram business account contains all the usual statistics on likes, follows, and impressions, as well as data on profile visits. And if there is one thing Instagram is good at, it is segmenting the interests its users have. We may not be talking about very in-depth statistics, but it gives a very good picture of Instagram users' engagement.
4. CONCURRENTS
It's an age-old trick that still works: cheating. Because just like you, your competitors are also trying to fish from the same pond. By analysing your competitors, you get a better idea of what your target audience looks like or should look like. Of course, you can't sneak into the office to know exactly how they go about their work, but the internet wouldn't be itself if there were plenty of analysis techniques. By analysing your competitors' website statistics, for example, you will know exactly which online audience they are trying to target. Whether that puts you on thin ice? No way. Chances are they are doing exactly the same for you. That too is part of online audience analysis.
Want to know more about target group analysis?
Want to know more about what audience analysis should look like for your business? Then feel free to ask us all your questions. We are happy to help you on your way to reach your target audience.
