Marketing on Social Media (2)

Note: This is a work in progress. As a result, it is not infrequent that as new information arises that gives more clarity to what I'm writing about, it will be incorporated into parts 1
and 2 to further explain each item in a clear, understandable and easy-to-follow format.

At the same time, to enhance clarity and present the info in an orderly fashion, pieces of info that may have appeared in part 1 may suddenly appear in part 3. I'm doing it this way so that the information I uncover can be presented in a more orderly way, making the content more user friendly and understandable.

Things that are useful to know about your ideal audience:

At this point, you may think you know your ideal audience quite well. However, the advantage of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest et. al. allows you to discover a lot more information than you could get from a conventional survey, and you can get the information a lot quicker, too. This unconventional information must be constantly updated in real time, as must the information you receive in your surveys. Use this to your advantage, as unconventional information can be useful to your marketing strategy.

Some things you can learn about your target audience through social media are;

Their likes and dislikes. Ask yourself: what does this information tell your about your market? How can you relate this information to your business?

Their values. For example, if you are selling a complementary health product, it will help to know that your target audience advocates alternative health.

Lifestyle. What do you know about their lifestyle? Do they live off the grid or are they city folk? If these people constitute your ideal market, it's up to you to figure out how to present your product in a way that fits into their lifestyles.

Knowledge. What magazines and web content do they read? What TV shows do they like? (Action, comedy, drama, history, others). This knowledge can give you clues to other social media sites that you can look into. It can also guide you on ways to present your business.

Product use. What aspects of your product/service are most appealing to your ideal audience? How do they use your product? This may sound simplistic, but coconut oil has many uses, and I use it primarily on my dogs after they are bathed, like a shampoo rinse. So I'm a regular buyer but I don't use coconut oil in the conventional sense. Also, know when they use your product or service. Is it on special days, or a special time of the day?

The better you understand your Ideal market, the better you can make your product/service relevant to their lives. Also, knowing your ideal market well will guide you when it is time for engagement (this will be explained in a future blog).

Don't forget to keep an eye on leads

You want to focus on your ideal market. But you also want to keep your eye on leads -- people who may not be your ideal audience now, but have the potential to someday be your ideal audience in the future.  

Your objective is always growth, so focus on your ideal audience; and when it comes to expansion, keep your eye on leads. Gather knowledge about them to guide you on the proper time to engage them, and how to engage them. 

Now that you have an ideal audience for your product or service, you can prepare to engage them in a way that is very subtle. This will come in my next blog.