12 ways to pinpoint your target audience

1. Pick an audience you can relate to.

"Find a crowd you'll want to be a part of, and whose goals and intentions
resonate with [yours].

Then look for their gaps, needs, and pain points, and tailor your product or
service to them. That way, you set yourself up for client interactions that will keep
fueling your motivation and enthusiasm for your work."

2. Look at your customers' long-term potential.

It's easy to get consumed early on with one parameter: customers that will
pay. That's a great start, but it can take you in a number of different
directions, and as a startup [you] need to be really efficient with how [you]
invest resources. I always try to think one level deeper and a bit longer
term. Who are customers that will pay or adopt early, but of those, which
ones will share their experience with others? That's your target audience."

3. Specify your target audience.

People under 35 is not a 'target' audience; it's a broad audience. The more
narrowly, and precisely, you can identify your target audience, the better
you will be able to identify appropriate communication vehicles and create
compelling messages to move them toward some desired action."

4. Imagine your ideal customers

"In order to initially identify a target market, I advise my clients to draw

them or imagine them and ask the following questions: What do they wear?
Where do they go? What do they do with their time? And what do they
read? By answering these questions, you can determine your target market
based on the statistics they provide including age, demographic, income
range, etc."
5. Conduct keyword research

Use the Google AdWords Keyword Tool to determine how many people are
searching for keyword terms related to your product or service. Startups
should utilize [this tool] to determine what their potential customers
actually want, based on what they are searching for on Google."

6. Work one on one with potential customers.

"When I was working one on one with people, I quickly got a feel for who
my target audience was and my ideal client. Every interaction I have with a
client helps me further understand my target and helps me gain even
greater clarity on my ideal client as well."

7. Do your homework.

"I researched who I knew in high-level positions and segmented them by

industry and profession. I also asked for insight from my peers. This
included my centers of influence from networking events, professional
connections, and all social media platforms that I am active on. Once my
list was compiled, I found my target audience."

8. Consider whom you want to help.

"I've found that there is one thing that will stand out more than anything
else. [Ask yourself,] 'Who do you want to be a hero to? Who do you want to
be a shining knight for [sic]?' Ask those questions, and you'll get a lot
further a lot faster and a lot easier!"
9. Gather relevant customer data.

"We thought about our target customer in the same way we thought about
ourselves. We took a deep look at who we were as people and what we
liked and didn't like. On top of that, we did a lot of analysis on who bought
our shoes. Data doesn't lie, and the people who raised their hand, signed
up for our newsletter, and bought our shoes told us a lot about our target
audience."

10. Look no further than your own sphere of influence.

"It's easiest to create something you personally would use. I created [our
product] because, as a Zumba instructor, I knew my students needed them
and that I could sell them in my own Zumba classes. Because I was part of
the market I was trying to sell to, I knew where they gathered and who they
listened to. That helped to establish my target audience."

11. Stop guessing; let customers guide you.

"You can guess all day, but you don't know until your product makes first
contact with the market. We designed Loop with hotels and restaurants in
mind, then thought why not open it up so any business can use it and see
what happens. We were pulled by customers from unexpected categories."

12. Communicate your message clearly.

"In order to identify your target audience, you need to be able to articulate
who you are, what you care about, and how what you do matters to others.
Our focus is helping business and non-profits tell their own story through
video. Being able to articulate who we are makes it easy for us to attract
our target audience."