Humor me this.
Ever seen folk whack others in the face when breaking the piñata?
I bet you have. It’s the stuff of memes.
But can you say it was their fault? Hell no.
They were blindfolded to begin with.
Blind as a bat on a sunny day. Well, any day. Blind as a bat any day.
Much like you when you create content blindly and hope something sticks.
You are as blind as bats, homie [insert Leslie Chow’s voice from The Hangover Part II].
Here’s the deal.
You need a clear picture of your target audience to realize faster (if any) results with your WordPress website.
Huh?
A better understanding of your target market helps you create awesome web content that works.
Dope and effective website content that attracts and converts prospects into loyal customers.
Yes, that kind of content.
Can’t define a target audience for your WordPress website? You aren’t alone.
Many website owners struggle with the whole concept of defining a target audience.
I know.
It is confusing at first.
But if you rely on web content (who doesn’t?), it’s vital to have a crystal-clear picture of your prospects.
Otherwise, you risk setting your sights too broadly.
You will stare down the barrel wondering why you hit nothing.
All because your aim is way off. Like way over there.
While your target audience is sitting right in front of you.
We often overestimate the market size, and in many cases, there may not be one at all,
says Robert Hisrich, head honcho at the Walker Center for Global Entrepreneurship, an extension of the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona.
If you miss the mark with your target audience, your website will be like a headless chicken running about.
Not what you need when you want to convert mere visitors into paying customers.
We will briefly go over how to define a target audience, so you can create effective web content to drive traffic and revenue.
First off, a question.
What Problem Does Your Product or Service Fix?
First, you must understand who would pay for your product or service.
For this, you must identify the problem you fix.
So, ladies and the one gentleman at the back, what problem does your product solve?
Write it down. Provide as much detail as you can.
Don’t ignore this advice.
There are entire marketing teams who don’t know the problem they solve.
So they miss the mark by miles, market to the wrong audience, and sell nought.
Back to you.
As you outline the problem, you’ll clearly see the person most motivated to buy whatever you sell.
It doesn’t matter whether you sell a WordPress theme, web hosting, an app, or horse tranquilizers. This approach works every time.
Not only do your prospects need to have the problem, but also they need to be aware they have the problem,
quips Habstritt, founder of Simplewealth.com, an advice website dedicated to small business owners.
So, let’s assume the prospect already has a problem. Content marketing is how you make them aware of the problem.
Aside: Later, when they trust you thanks to your content marketing efforts, they’ll gravitate to your product or service.
So, what do you do?
Before anything else, I recommend starting your research with Google’s keyword tool.
This free SEO tool lets you see the average number of people searching for your product or service.
In other words, it lets you know if there are people with the problem your product or service solves.
It also shows you the keywords this group of people (read: your target audience) uses to find your website.
For example, if you’re a WordPress developer, you might start your search with keywords like:
- WordPress themes (this is quite general and highly competitive to rank)
- WordPress plugins
- Multipurpose WordPress theme
- Responsive WordPress theme
- Best page builder
- [The title of your page builder] e.g., WPBakery Page Builder, Divi, Beaver Builder, and so on
- Best WordPress hosting
- Et cetera – you get the drift
This SEO keyword tool often returns a ton of keyword data.
I am going a little off topic here.
Back to the main point.
How do you define a target audience from this data?
How do you identify (and learn more about) the people who use the keywords to find your product, service, or website?
It’s simple. Use a little reverse engineering.
Armed with data and keyword ideas, you create effective SEO content potential clients want.
This way, your target audience comes to you because you’re creating the type of SEO content they are actively looking for.
Once these people are on your website (thanks to your relevant SEO content), you gather more data about them with your traffic analytics tool.
Or through surveys and the other methods mentioned below.
Does that make sense? I sure do hope so. If you have issues with this part and keyword research in general, I have the answers.
Leave a comment or contact me and I will be thrilled to help. I do this all the time.
This goes to say effective website content must abide by the divine laws of search engine optimization (SEO).
Look at Your Past (and Existing) Clients
Examining your past (and existing) clients offers a clearer picture of your target audience.
In addition, it helps you refine your marketing strategy, hence web content.
If you don’t have past clients, you can offer a test or release a free version of your product.
Alternatively, you can start with a free trial, giving prospects the chance to speak with their purses/credit cards.
With a free test, you want to check how (and which) prospects would respond to the actual product should you decide to launch.
With a free version or trial, you create a target audience around your product. Later, you can sell the paid version and/or add-ons to this target audience.
And then create web content that aligns with your new target audience from the feedback you gather.
Don’t Underestimate Your Reach
Assumption kills facts that’s a fact.
I assume, as a beginner, you know jack about defining target audiences.
Am I not right? And isn’t my assumption correct, hence a fact?
See what I did there?
But that’s not the point.
Never assume anything.
Don’t do it with your WordPress website or any other business for that matter.
Not if data can help you put two and two together.
So, create realistic audience profiles using email lists, focus groups, giveaways, interviews, questionnaires, surveys, etc.
There are no shortcuts. Roll up your sleeves and get practical.
Well, I don’t mean to make it sound so hard, because it is not.
Just ask and have fun with it.
You will be amazed just how much feedback you can collect from your audience.
They are willing to let you know about their problems and whatnot. You simply aren’t asking.
You will generate so much data you can use to improve your audience profile as well as your blog and website content.
Or even create new products or services.
So don’t underestimate (or overestimate) your reach. And Google Analytics might not help you here.
Ask the web visitors you don’t know you have because – guess what – you’re underestimating your reach.
I know this first hand.
Many people come to your site and leave without saying a thing. Or performing any obvious action.
The kind of things that don’t show up or make sense on your traffic analytics reports.
So, you kind of ignore this data (read: real people in your target audience).
But guess what?
Most people are willing to respond when you ask about a problem they are facing.
And this includes people not motivated enough to comment on a post or fill out your contact forms.
Magically, they respond when you ask and offer something, say, a free eBook, or some other gift.
Are you having a light bulb moment? No?
The Power of Social Networks
Generating feedback from focus groups, interviews, and surveys is challenging, if not costly, for beginners.
But not to worry.
Social networking sites like Facebook and X (Twitter) can save the day.
How?
Tap into multiple social networks to gather free feedback from potential customers.
Many people on social media are always in the mood to give free advice and opinions.
This is according to Bryan Darr, founder of Mosaik Solutions, a data analytics company operating from Memphis, Tenn.
Social networks are also a great source of feedback for when you publish blog or website content. Share your posts with social media users and track responses.
In addition, social networking sites are home to some of the most engaged online communities in every niche.
For WordPress, you will find communities on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Quora, and so on. This also applies to any other niche or topic.
Your target audience hangs out in these communities, so be active and engage meaningfully.
Rely On Personal Knowledge/Experience, But Not Too Much
You might believe you know your target audience from personal experience and knowledge, but kid yourself not.
For instance, as a medical practitioner starting a health insurance blog, you might assume you know (everything about) your target market.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Sure thing, you’re the new shining dentist in town. But how much do you know about the ins and outs of the insurance industry?
Because health and insurance are two different worlds, mi amigo.
The same applies to WordPress developers. Are you assuming you know the features our dentist friend needs?
Perhaps you think they’re tech-savvy, so you bundled a page builder and a ton of other plugins in your theme.
Now our good friend the dentist is stuck in feature bloat.
Wait what? What was that? Health insurance throws you a curveball as well?
That’s right. Your target audience is not insurance folk, but our dentist friend who can’t code to save their life.
These are simple examples, but I believe you see where I’m going with this.
It is irresponsible to assume you think like your prospective client.
The only way to avoid being burned is talking with the prospects.
While personal experience and knowledge are something, don’t undermine the value of research.
If nothing else, ask them directly, and you’ll be surprised how little you know.
Understand Your Business Model
- What is your revenue model?
- How will you sell your product or service?
Understanding how you will reap revenue augments what you already know about your target market.
For example, if you base your revenue model on selling products online, you might find it easy to define a target market.
We can’t say the same of individuals with social ventures since they might overestimate the size of the target audience.
When selling your offer, will you have a website, physical store, or both?
A brick-and-mortar business means your target market is mostly the people in your neighborhood.
A website that is optimized for local SEO is a great plus if you plan to sell products to the nice people in your city or town. A Google Business Profile helps too,
says Freddy, freelance writer at VistaWriting.com (you are reading it).
Study Your Competition
They are your competition because you all want a bigger piece of the same pie.
By studying their marketing strategy, you can develop a clearer picture of your own target market.
Word of caution: Do not lift their entire marketing strategy (especially their web content).
You must have a way of differentiating what you are doing from what the other guys offer,
says Darr.
Creating creative, smart, and unique web content is your way. Don’t know what to do or where to start?
Hire an experienced freelance writer.
Google Analytics
If you have not claimed your Google Analytics account, do yourself a favor and do so NOW.
If you need help setting it up, I am lending my hand for a short period.
Google Analytics shows you everything from the number of views your website registers to how people find you from various sources, including search engines, social media, referral traffic, and direct traffic.
Phew, that’s one hell of a long sentence 😀
This magical tool provides useful data about your website visitors – exactly what you need to define a target audience and create smarter, more effective web content.
Not to mention, it is easy to set up and use.
At the end of the day, a clear picture of your target audience helps you create better web content that works for you, your business, and your target market.
Are you looking for an experienced content writer for your WordPress website or blog?
Do you want smart and effective web content to wow your target audience and achieve your goals?
I can’t wait to hear from you. Hire me today.
Fill out this form to download a PDF template of a sample target audience profile. You’ll be surprised how simple it is 🙂
See you around.
PS: Please don’t forget to download the PDF and share the article 🙂
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