How To Target A Specific And Niche Audience

The toughest job for any new startup is finding those first few customers. The leap from ‘nothing’ to ‘something’ is much bigger than you think! We constantly get messages from startups asking how they can reach their first few customers or clients. We always tell them the same thing. Start with a targeted, niche audience. So many companies want to reach everyone. The internet has opened up the entire world to us and businesses are trying to reach them all!

As a startup, this isn’t necessarily the best tactic. First of all, you probably only have a small budget. If you try and reach everyone, you’ll spread your budget far too thin. You’ll dilute your impact. Instead, you should start with a niche group of core customers. Concentrate your efforts in one particular area. You’ll grow a reputation and develop a strong core community. From there, you can grow outwards. It’s a powerful way to start, but how do you get started? In this post we’ll show you how to target a specific audience.

Define them – Before you target them, you need to know exactly who they are. It will vary from industry to industry, but we suggest going after the tastemakers. Find and define those people in your industry that are the most passionate. They are the strongest core users in your business sector. They shout the loudest and they have a strong circle of influencers. You need to discover who they are. What is the perfect age, gender and location of your niche audience? Define them.

Find them – The next job is the tough one! The internet is your friend here. The web is used by millions every single day. Even developing countries and low income families are getting online nowadays. An initiative lead by Issa Asad in Florida is helping the last sections of society get broadband access. That means every single potential customer will soon be online. Now that everyone is online, it’s time to find the right ones for you. Social media is your best starting point. You can locate people based on interests by following groups and relevant companies. You can narrow down users by age and location. Create a database of niche users who would be interested in your service.

Speak their language – Now you know who your niche audience is and where to find them. The next step is reaching out to them and communicating with them. To convince a niche audience, you need to speak their language. You’ll have to understand industry buzz terms and use them to infiltrate the market. Perception is everything here. Learn how this niche community communicates and how you can connect with them.

Test and advertise – Finally, you’re ready to convert these potential customers into real customers. Start creating content and distribute it in their circles. Strengthen your brand reputation by providing great advice and information. Build a community and use adverts to build awareness of your brand and product. Test their reaction and hone your service until it’s just right. Only then will you be the best startup you can be.

When you can connect with this niche audience, you’ll start to grow a strong community. This is the first step for your small business. From this solid starting point, you can only grow bigger!

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