When you create your social media marketing campaigns, one of the first things you’ll decide is which platform to use. But before you just choose the one that you like the best, consider this: Different platforms attract different consumers. Millennials are more likely to be found on Instagram, while the elusive Gen X’er may be better reached on Twitter. How do you know where you should focus your digital strategy? You must start by defining who it is you want to reach.

Start with the Problem Your Target Market Needs Solving

The perfect place to start in defining your target audience is to ask yourself what problem your product solves. Perhaps you sell trendy clothing at discount prices. This solves the problem of wanting to look modern, but not having much to budget for new clothes. Now ask who might have this problem. In this example, it could be college students, young professionals just getting started in their careers, or young families.

Now Create Customer Profiles Based on the Problem

Once you know the problem, and who may have this problem, start creating your customer profiles. What does that young professional do? Are you selling trendy clothing for an up-and-coming IT professional, or someone who is trying to break into an artistic field? Your product will help you narrow down the specifics for your digital marketing strategy. Get detailed with these profiles so that you really understand your specific customers.

Create Subgroups Based on Niche Markets

Once you have your customer profiles made, you can break them down even more into subgroups to help you narrow in on the right social media marketing platforms. For example, maybe you decided that your trendy discount clothing items are aimed at young IT professionals. Now narrow that down to “female IT professionals on the East Coast”. This subgroup is much different from “male IT professionals in the Northwest”.

Consider the Audiences of Your Competitors

Finally, now that you have defined your target audience, look at how your competitors are targeting similar markets. Where else might your audience go to have their problem solved, and how can you stand out? This is the key to optimizing your digital strategy to reach your audience. By addressing their need, and presenting yourself as the expert to fill that need, you’ll be able to approach social media marketing with the right content – and find the right platforms to use.

How Organically Can Help
Defining your target audience, and targeting them with quality content, are two different things. Organically can help you execute your digital strategy across all social media marketing platforms. To learn more about our services, such as social media management, digital advertising, and content strategy, click here.