Research marks the inception of every marketing strategy or campaign. An organization must fully acknowledge and comprehend the dynamics and demographics of their audience, and how to reach them in order for their marketing to succeed. Over half of Americans participate on a social media platform, therefore grasping not only who your audience is, but understanding how to use the platforms and who you are able to reach through them.

Knowing where you are going is the first step in understanding how to get there. Marketing is constantly changing its game, evolving to keep up with the generations engaging with social media and advertising. 48% of Americans have interacted with a business on social media, and 59% prefer their questions and concerns be resolved via these platforms. A large chunk of today’s consumers demand entertainment and education instead of selling tactics. It requires a dash of finesse to approach your target audience.

  • Define Target Market

What does your business offer? The products and services which you provide will determine who your consumer is. Compiling an inventory of what your organization wants to accomplish with the end customer will help draw together which social media platforms one should aim their efforts.  

  1. Demographics

It is easy to assume each social media platform will have the same demographics. Your message might become lost if you approach each platform with the same demographic assumptions. Organizations must define characteristics of their targets. Send out surveys to existing customers, Survey Monkey or Google Forms are free mediums which can collect your answers, to determine where your audience devotes their social media time. Does your audience read blogs, listen to podcasts, visit certain websites?

Age, gender, location, income, family situation, and who makes the purchasing decisions are all great topics which need attention. 83% of Americans have a social media account. The demographics of this large percent consist of children up to the elderly and everything in between.

  1. Psychographics

By definition, psychographics classifies people according to their attitudes, aspirations or psychological criteria. How an organization approaches their audience determines if their audience will be receptive and trust the brand. What are your consumer’s values, likes and dislikes? What is their lifestyle? Does your product or service provide them a solution that is justly present on your chosen platform?

  • Big Data Uploads

An incredible way to cut corners with searching out your audience is to dive head first into big data! Big data marketing is an incredibly that can help you not only find your audience, but learn valuable information about them. Padron offers this service, but another one you could look into is Acxiom! Acxiom helps you to create meaningful interactions at scale between consumers and the brands they love. This big data can then be uploaded to your ads on social to help ensure your ads find them!

  • Select Social Media Network

Simply researching and having a grasp on your audience is the first step. Now taking that information and projecting it on a social media platform for your audience to absorb is the next step. There are a plethora of platforms available for businesses to reach customers, however below we have listed a few of the most popular.

  1. Facebook

If you are attempting to target your audience on Facebook it works best for fast-moving consumer goods. Many users on Facebook are from younger generations, therefore luxury goods would not interest a large portion. To be productive in reaching your audience on Facebook one of the most reputable channels is to use Facebook Ads Manager. This enables organizations to input the research into Facebook’s system and choose between; core audiences, custom audiences or lookalike audiences.

  1. LinkedIn

This platform consists mainly of business and career driven users. Products and services targeted to educate and inform consumers have the highest potential to reach these audiences. LinkedIn offers businesses with Direct Sponsored Content, which allows one to run similar ads to more than one audience. It is great for business to business by simply entering in the demographics and other research results.

  1. Instagram

Instagram consists of a large female population between the ages of 18 and 44. Images make up most of the content. Making accessories, clothing and entertainment-related products most attractive. Hashtags are the calling card to Instagram. Find and follow hashtags from your competitors, like their photos and become active in the Instagram community. Usually, your competitors which have an existing following hold the audience you are targeting. Following these consumers and engaging in questions or comments will help build your brand and make your organization visible.

Back up your content and approach with the right research and your business will see the return. Interacting and reaching audiences has become a craft. One which continuously needs honing and exploring.

Consider reviewing Google Analytics, Facebook Analytics, or even Keyword Tool. These tools should help you analyze content behavior, learn more about your audience, and how to reach and keep them!