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7 Ways to Research Your Target Audience
by Steve Slaunwhite
As a copywriter, you have to know the ins and outs of the product you're writing about. That's a given. However, it's equally important – if not more so – to thoroughly understand the target audience as well.
That's not always easy. For example, how can I, a forty-something writer, relate to the business problems faced by an IT manager, or the daily challenges of a single working mom?
You can never truly walk a mile in someone else's moccasins. But you can come pretty close – with research.
Below are some of my favorite strategies for quickly learning more about the problems, needs and desires of the target audience I'm trying to persuade.
1. Study the background materials.
Ask your client to send you previous creative briefs, market research reports, memos, presentations and any other materials available on the target audience.
2. Read what your prospect reads.
Just about every group – accountants, seniors, even shuffleboard enthusiasts – have websites, newsletters and other publications that target their interests. Find out what they are, and review a few issues.
A tip: some publications have a Media Kit containing a wealth of information on the target audience. You can usually download this for free from the publication's Web site.
3. Read blogs and participate in forums.
Want to find out what the hot issues are with a target audience? Blogs, discussion boards and forums are a great way to find out.
I once discovered through a forum that sales managers in December are much more concerned about forecasting NEXT year's sales results than meeting this year's quota. This enabled me to create a direct mail piece that was very successful when mailed at that time of year.
4. Seminar descriptions.
This strategy has worked very well for me. Seminar descriptions often address the most important concerns of a target audience. If they didn't, the seminar wouldn't sell! Professional associations – like the American Association for Certified Public Accountants, for example – as well as magazines and other publications, often run seminars. You can also do a search for seminars on Google.com.
5. Speak to the sales reps.
Salespeople are a terrific source of information on a target audience. After all, these are the folks who deal with prospects and customers everyday. They can often provide you with insights you won't find anywhere else.
Want to know what warehouse managers are concerned about? Ask the shipping supplies salesperson. Want the scoop on the electronic gadgets that kids are clamoring for? Ask the electronics store clerk.
6. Meet your target audience.
Sometimes, it's possible to talk to a prospect or customer directly. If so, this is ideal. Alternatively, your client may have commissioned a survey of the target audience and has a summary of their thoughts and opinions. Ask if this information is available.
7. Attend trade shows.
There is a trade show for just about every professional and personal interest. The HVAC Contractors Show, The Cottage Life Show, The Knitwear Show, and hundreds more. These are a hub of activity where sellers and buyers meet to discuss new products, services and idea. You can learn a lot here from hanging around the exhibits, and listening to the questions asked and the issues raised. It's an education.
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