If you don’t know who your target market is, how can you market to them?  The answer is…you can’t.  That’s why this is one of the most important things you can do to build your brand and build your business.  You need to identify the customers who have a problem that you can solve, that you have solved for others, and who are willing to pay you for that solution.  Here are the essential steps to identifying your target customer:

Identify the problems they are trying to solve: Each target group will have some specific issues, or problems, they are trying to solve.  It is a requirement that your products, services or information address those issues head-on.

Study the Structure: Each target group possesses a pattern, and you need to know the make-up of your target audience – their ages, earning capacities and working preferences. With this information you can use the proper marketing tools and techniques.

Identify the sub-groups: Within the main group, a number of sub-groups will exist.  For example, 18-24 year-old males tend to like sports, music and video games.  So these could be sub-groups to investigate.   (Yes, that is a stereotype…but you get my point).

Familiarity of the group with your type of product/service: How much, or little, the group knows about your type of product/service will directly impact they type of marketing you implement.  It will determine if you focus on education, or testimonials, or contests (as an example).

Influential organizations: If your target audience has a certain group of influential organization, you need to know.  You can work with the organizations to gain exposure to your audience.  Write articles, host a webinar, speak at an event – most organizations will open discussing these opportunities.

Role of media: Understand who your audience turns to for information.  What are the specific roles played by different media segments, newspapers, weeklies, websites?  How are they different or the same?  Are some more influential?  Why?

Once you have a firm grasp on who your target customer is, you are ready to get out there and start telling them all about how you, and only you, can help them solve their problems.