A target audience analysis is a vital part of the research that goes into a social media marketing strategy, and when executed properly, can pave the way towards trust, positive reputation, high ROI and overall success.
In this article, we will take it step by step and explore the hows and whys of a target audience analysis.
What is a target audience analysis?
A target audience analysis consists of the different levels of research that help businesses pinpoint who their products or services are best aimed at and who their marketing efforts would best resonate with. Particularly in the context of social media marketing, your target audience research is tightly connected to your value offering, messaging, brand voice and brand positioning.
Why do we need target audience analysis?
Any social media marketing strategy begins with research. Like a grammatically correct sentence structure, it is important to know who your subject is. Diving into your target audience is easily the most important piece of research that will lay the groundwork for all your future strategies and efforts.
However, as tempting as it can be to take the pool of data that online platforms offer us, outline your buyer personas, and get started, it is crucial to understand that in today’s social media landscape, target audience research requires a more sophisticated human touch.
As a human-first marketing agency, we operate by the EMPATH Framework, which can support you in achieving a high-quality understanding of your social media audience. Let’s dive in.
Target audience analysis: the EMPATH Framework
The empath framework, developed by Phil, our CEO, in his book “Human-First Marketing: The Art of Being Seen, Trusted and Remembered”, consists of:
- Emotional Understanding (Source One)
- Market and Trend Research (Source Two)
- Patterns of Behaviour (Source Three)
- Audience Feedback (Source Four)
- Team Feedback (Source Five)
- Human Understanding Map (Outcome)
Emotional Understanding
A key part of creating that distinction between old-school (and possibly outdated) audience research methods, such as buyer personas, and a more contemporary human-first understanding of your customers, is realising that your brand is marketing to and communicating with people. People who have emotions, and whose purchase decisions and social media patterns rely on many cognitive factors such as feelings, moods and experiences.
Therefore, it is key to begin your research by exploring sources that can offer you a peek inside your customers’ emotional state. In the context of social media, practising active social listening is your first step.
Monitor any reviews or testimonials you receive from your customers, as well as any competitors within your field. Keep a close eye on any mentions of your brand or competitor brands on social media or in any communities (groups, forums, etc.). Often, those sources can offer us an even more raw and honest idea of your followers’ emotional perception of your brand.
Market and Trend analysis
Of course, the existing market research data is still important to consider in the overall mix of things. There are a few key sources to check in order to stay ahead of any trends within your field. Those include industry reports, the latest events and conventions, as well as different social media tools that can help point you in the right direction and keep you up to speed. Apps like Instagram and TikTok for example, have numerous features that help you learn trending sounds, hashtags, creators and much more.
Patterns of Behaviour
Another way in which social media apps have simplified the process of target audience research is through their numerous analytics features. They will give you the most up-to-date information regarding demographics, engagement and the overall performance of your content. While it may seem fairly surface-level, this data can still uncover many insights about your followers’ behaviour and online patterns, even more so when combined with all he other layers of the EMPATH framework.
Audience Feedback
Another valuable source of information is your audience’s direct feedback. If speaking to your followers on a one-to-one basis is not an option, there are numerous ways to acquire that feedback, with social media polls and Q&As being a straightforward one. Additionally, if you would like to go even more in-depth, questionnaires and surveys are another way to do so.
Regardless of the method, questions should always be open-ended and neutral, revolving around your followers’ needs, their motivations for choosing your products or services, any issues they might be facing, and the factors they take into account when interacting with content.
Team Feedback
Oftentimes, in our concentrated efforts to study our audience, we forget that our team can be just as valuable a source. Interacting with our customers and followers daily, they collect information from sources we may not otherwise gain access to, which can greatly contribute to our overall target audience analysis.
The best approach is to communicate with them and get their perspective. Ask about what generates the most engagement, whether there are any missed opportunities or any trends your brand should be on, as well as any common patterns they may have noticed on your socials.
Human Understanding Map – the outcome
Once you have collected data from all the listed sources, you should then be able to combine all this information and gradually sketch out your human understanding map. It is important to remember that the whole concept is fluid for a reason. Even if you have completed your initial target audience analysis and you are looking at an extensive human understanding map, you should still keep in mind that your customers and their emotions, behaviours and needs can change. Ensure to always be one step ahead by regularly monitoring the different levels of the EMPATH framework.
TIP: If you want to dive deeper into how to develop your human understanding map, make sure to check out “Human-First Marketing: The Art of Being Seen, Trusted and Remembered”.
If you are ready to understand your audience on a deeper level, we are here to help! For a human-first approach to target audience analysis and social media audit, get in touch with us here.
