Welcome, it is great to connect again. I am back home now; thanks to my hosts in Geneva and those who sent me a message wishing me well in my travels. You are loved and appreciated.
Last week we looked at how to define your dreams and the week before that we talked about defining who you are. On today’s post […] I want us to look at the last installment in the definitions series and it is based on defining your target audience.
The reason why defining your target audience is important is so you can conserve your energy and resources, recognise your ideal client or customer when you see him or her but most importantly make a success of all that you do.
To highlight what this means let me share our experience with our pilot product Effectual Magazine; hopefully you will gain clarity as to why you need to define your target audience and make a habit of redefining them as time passes. When we started Effectual Magazine; we wanted to become a magazine for every woman. We were looking for a winning product that would be attractive and impactful to everybody who picks it up. So, off we went to do our best in marketing to every single person that we came across.
While the courage to walk up to just about anyone and tell them that their lives depended on our product was a great feat we also found out that we were dissipating energy in every direction and therefore not making much head way. I found that we spent a lot of time convincing people to take the magazine, but when we returned for feedback, we received disheartening news. After we had badgered people, they, usually took the magazines but never got round to reading them. This for me was unacceptable!
The reason this was unacceptable was simple; as much as we wanted to be able to sell the magazines, we wanted more for our buyers to read them. This got me thinking, and what I found out was that unless the product is air, it is not meant for everyone! Which meant that we had to go back to the drawing board to ascertain which women were our target audience. We quickly realized that the woman, who makes it a point to purchase Effectual and actually read it isn’t necessarily the church attending woman; it goes beyond that.
Our product is fashioned for the highly intelligent, spiritual, not religious upwardly mobile woman. This woman had to have both brain power, focus and a craving for the best life; to be able to read the magazine and have it add value to her life.
Once we defined our target, our work became easier! Rather than just pursue everyone we came across, we saved our breath and time for the woman who I have just defined above! Just narrowing down our scope and concentrating on these women, was the secret it turned out to increasing our market share.
Should you be starting a dream right now, it is imperative that you define not just your dream but also your target audience before you begin. This will save you time and energy! For those who have been working and running with their dreams but still find they are not as effective as they would like, maybe you also need to take the time and define who you are called to!
So how do you define your target audience?
1. Define your product highlighting its key features and peculiarities.
2. Who are those people who have access to these features and actually need them?
3. Ask yourself; ‘who are those that have acknowledged your work the most? This is usually based on the feedback you get.
4. Who is quick to recommend your product to another?
5. Who doesn’t mind paying for your product? Can they afford it?
Remember, the dream is not about you; it is about what you do after you dream; what impact can and is your dream making? All these can only be measured by a proper definition of your target audience; as this helps you devise a way to reach them.
It really doesn’t matter where you are right now; it is important that you remember that you will make it NeverTheLess.
Here is to your success!
Bidemi