3 Steps for Establishing Your Target Audience

Establishing a strong connection with your audience is one of the most crucial steps toward success for any nonprofit. When starting out, many struggle with the desire to create a connection with everyone, but with over 8.5 billion Google searches every day the chance of even being recognized is low. And despite what you may think, those who do eventually notice your brand may not have any interest in what you have to offer. With such difficulties, building a connection with the right audience becomes vital to an organization’s growth. Here are three steps to take to establish your target audience and have a greater impact for your cause.

Segment the Audience

When first trying to determine who your target audience is, it is best to start with dividing the general audience into different segments based on similarities. Similarities can include beliefs, interests, age groups, geographical areas and many more. By segmenting your audience you can significantly enhance your ability to serve and connect with the right people. When done right, audience segmentation will be more than a tedious task. It can help generate measurable and tangible results that can drastically impact your communication efforts.

Specify Your Niche

After grouping the general audience in similar segments, you should specify your niche. When specifying your niche, or establishing the market segment that would most likely interact with your brand, it is important to keep in mind the concept of consumer demand. Ask yourself, “Which segment is most likely to have a demand or desire to connect with my organization?” By keeping this principle in mind, you will be able to begin targeting the audience that specifically wants to connect with your nonprofit vs. those that lack such a desire.

Build a Brand

Once you have specified your niche, take some time to build your brand identity within the chosen segment or segments. Make an effort to connect with the members of your segment through your image, message and voice. Become a consistent and recognizable name in your niche and demonstrate authority for your cause. As you build your brand identity, you will create trust, loyalty and connections with your audience, and in turn build a solid foundation for your brand among your target audience.