Why Audience Definition Continues To Redefine Marketing

Audience definition is actually pretty simple — identify the ideal client(s) by getting to know him/her. This, however, belies the influence of some powerful analytical processes hard at work. This may all seem a little ho-hum to the layperson, but for marketing insiders, audience definition is no less than revolutionary.

Marketing is about as ubiquitous as mobile devices, so much so that it’s just about become white noise on the commercial landscape. Everyone can spot a “commercial” a million miles away. This means that marketing strategies have to be pretty impactful to get folks’ attention. Ah, but there’s the rub — how do you get said attention in the most effective way?

Getting Started

In order to do this, they decided to up the ante on how they’d try to reach people. After all, you want to make sure you’ve got the right people on your radar. Enter audience definition. The first step was asking important questions such as:

• How does one client differ from another?
• To whom does our product/service appeal to the most?
• What’s our competition doing? Are they doing better, and if so, why?
• Where have we gone wrong in our marketing work & what can we do to ‘right the ship’?

The idea of “bang for the buck” isn’t specific to marketing, but it sure has a very important place in its success. As you spend money on marketing, you need to know that you’re reaching the person who actually wants your product/service. You want to tap into markets where there is a need for what you have to offer. By knowing how to reach the folks who need/want what you’ve got, you can spend less time & money trying to find them. In theory, you should get some serious returns for your investment.

Companies started seeing the benefit of becoming more detailed in their approach to figuring out who their ideal client would be. Again, that’s WOULD BE not COULD BE. The difference is critical.

By The Numbers

The key to audience definition’s continued success in this arena is the use of data. You want to know about your population, the neighborhood, and the things that drive how the population operates. Don’t forget traditional demographic info such as college education levels & average income as well.

But as great as these metrics have been for some time, more is needed. Have no fear, though, because usable data is all around, much of it available for free or for a low investment. This means that every company, even the smallest start-up with no marketing budget to speak of, can actually use data to its advantage.

Making Connections

Data aside, the most important part of audience definition for companies to seize upon is connecting with their clients. Audience definition allows the connection with a client to become a reality but also become stronger & more meaningful over time. More importantly, the best companies listen closely to customer-driven criticism, constructive or otherwise. This input provides valuable information that can improve a product/service which, in turn, makes their audience/clients feel as though they have some intrinsic connection to a company. This, of course, leads to brand/product loyalty, a quintessential goal for any company.

Can audience definition continue to be a marketing juggernaut in 2021? Click here to learn more.