Google updates its ranking factor algorithms constantly but, year after year, Google and the other search engines have held firm to their stance on content. Without original, engaging and well-written content, your website won’t find its way to the top of the search engine results pages.
For this reason, content marketing remains one of the key pillars of a comprehensive digital marketing and SEO strategy.
Great content does not exist in a vacuum, however. It’s only great if it reaches your target audience and if it engages them sufficiently to produce the results you seek. Consequently, you won’t be able to create great content until you identify your target audience.
The Challenges of Identifying Your Target Audience
Today’s digital realm is massive, full beyond our wildest comprehension. Currently, more than 5.27 billion web pages have been indexed as of March 2021. Google processes more than 3.5 billion searches every day.
So, while countless qualified prospects are out there right now looking for the products or services you offer, countless competitors are out there trying to draw them in and claim their market share.
At one time, businesses could get away with lazily identifying an overly broad base of potential customers. Today, however, you must create a highly detailed profile of your ideal customer. If you work in a limited geographic market, this goal may be a little easier to accomplish, but you still need to do a deep dive.
Start Broad & Narrow Down Your Target Market
Start by painting your prospects with broad strokes, then narrow it down from there. You can even use the process of elimination to determine who your customer is not.
Be careful not to limit your target market to the end user of your product or service – in most business to business (B2B) or Business to Government (B2G) scenarios there is more than one person who is involved in the final purchasing decision.
For example, if you are a government contractor selling to state and local governments (for example law enforcement) the Chief of Police may be your end user but the City Mayor may have to sign the contract.
If your product falls on the high end of the cost and quality spectrum (or exceeds the budget authority of the buyer) you’ll likely want to narrow that broad target market down to those people that have budget authority.
Helpful Hints for Finding Your Target Audience
If you’re like many business owners and entrepreneurs, you might struggle to get your prospect pool narrowed down sufficiently. Here are a few digital marketing expert tips that can help you along the way.
What Problems Do You Solve?
Virtually every business solves some problem for their target audience. Once you identify the problems you seek to solve, you might find it easier to identify who has these issues.
Delve Into Market Data
If data is available for your industry or sector, look for applicable trends and refine your targets from there. Be sure you’re looking at current data, however, as markets shift rapidly in today’s fast-paced world.
Check the Competition
Identify your top competitors and see who they are marketing their products or services to. While you’re at it, see what digital marketing platforms they’re using successfully. That doesn’t mean those same strategies are right for you, but you might glean some critical insights to help guide your strategies.
Research Past Customers
Sometimes the best information is right under your own roof. Take a close look at who your customers have been and see what you can determine. If you’re active on social media platforms, consider who is engaging with you and explore their profiles to see what you can learn.
Put Your New Knowledge to Work in Creating Content
Once you’ve discovered all you can about your target audience, it’s time to put the information to work.
Craft your content in a way that will appeal to your targets based on age, education level, income, etc. Create content that speaks to the problems you can solve and answer the questions that you imagine they might have for you, if you were interacting with them directly.
When you can truly immerse yourself inside the head of your prospects – and walk the proverbial mile in their shoes – you will gain priceless insight in how to lead them down the path to purchase.
Working with an experienced digital marketing and SEO expert can help facilitate your efforts to reach prospects quickly, effectively and affordably. Here at Ocean 5 Strategies, we believe that we are the best SEO company in Washington DC for businesses and government contractors who want to make sales and grow their business. Contact us now for a no-cost, no-obligation
