Reach Your Target Audience with These Key Questions

Ice cream and umbrella vendors are common at crowded beaches and summer events because there are many customers willing to pay a premium for their products there

Some people have a talent or idea that compels them to start a business. These people seek to answer the question,

How do I identify and engage the customers who would use my product or service?

Other people want to start a small business (or work for themselves) and search for a viable plan. They must start with the questions like,

What do customers need or want? What can I provide that is higher quality, more convenient, more enjoyable, or more affordable than what is currently available?

Most of us are customers and clients as well as creators and providers. So, I often notice how well a company does or does not target their marketing and advertising to their customer's (i.e., my) context.

Timing is Everything

I thought of this blog post yesterday (December 21) when I was walking out my door and heard an . . . ice cream truck? I live in Oregon. I was wearing a coat. There was a light, gray drizzle. I have ice cream in my freezer. Once, in August, I did run up to the truck with childlike nostalgia only to find overpriced, freezer-burnt fudge pops. So, while I find ice cream trucks charming, I worry that most potential customers, like, me passed on their product that day.

While seasonal marketing can definitely be overdone, companies also do it because . . . it works. I am, indeed, more likely to be looking for flip flops in August and mittens in January. I'm more likely to crave hot cider in December and ice cream in July.

A potato chip company did a magnificent job of catching my attention on a streaming music service yesterday. I was finishing up a noon hike, and I was hungry. The company's advertisers knew that many people would be hungry around lunch. They also succeeded in making my salivate by including a larger-than-life, chip-crunching side effect. There's a reason restaurants show images of their food that are not to scale. Our bodies routinely remind us that food is one of our basic needs, and smart advertisers use those moments to showcase their products.

Showcase your product when and where people are primed to want it. For example, lots of people are in the market for hot dogs and ice cream at summer events. Can you fill a niche (for vegans, lactose-intolerant people, etc.)?

Be Where The People Are

How much did you pay for water or a soft drink last time you went to sporting event or a movie? Probably more than you would pay at the grocery store, right?

In contrast to the lonely ice cream truck in the previous example, ice cream vendors on beaches in Puerto Rico do it right. They push their handcarts—loaded with cold ice cream bursting with tropical flavors like coconut, passionfruit, and pineapple—right past where people are sunbathing. For a few bucks, you can enjoy a cold treat when and where you want one, without the hassle of hauling a cooler. People are also often willing—or even looking—to spend more on vacations, weekends, nights out, and special occasions. Demographics can also impact how sensitive customers are to cost and affordability. People in working and middle class neighborhoods have to make their dollars stretch further than than those in upper class and luxury areas.

If you are a physical business that offers products similar to other businesses, it makes sense to capitalize on location. People appreciate local businesses for their convenience, belongingness, and familiarity. Make your location warm and inviting, reflective of unifying local values, and be sure to notice what people in your location need. Convenience stores sell milk and bananas because people run out of those frequently, and are willing to pay a premium to avoid driving further and traversing endless, crowded aisles in the big box store.

Food truck vendors often find that they make the largest profits at catered parties and other events where there are many hungry people with limited choices. This exposure can be particularly helpful for new businesses. If customers try your waffle fries at an event and got hooked, they might be willing to drive to your regular pod to get them again and again.

Get Started

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