How to Find Your Target Audience: 5 Simple Steps for Small Businesses
Often we think the hardest part of building a business is finding the right idea. But as many entrepreneurs know, the idea is the easy bit! The hard part is figuring out how to find your target audience. Without knowing your target audience, you could be selling to the wrong people and leaving yourself drained, so it’s really important to get it right!
In this blog, we’re sharing a 5-step framework that’s going to help you engage and nurture the right clients 💪
Why Finding Your Target Audience Matters
Learning how to find your target audience isn’t just smart marketing—it’s essential for business growth.
When you tap into your target audience:
- You’ll see up to 40% higher engagement rates and 30% better conversion rates
- You’ll retain 20% more clients and customers
- You’ll cut acquisition costs by up to 25%
- You’ll build 60% more trust in your brand
- Most importantly, you’ll save time and energy by focusing on those who genuinely need what you offer
Sources provided by Anna taken from Edelman Trust, Bain & Company, Hubspot
Step 1: Start With Reflection
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the data, start with a self-reflection.
Ask yourself:
- Who were my most difficult clients?
- Which clients raised red flags or drained my energy?
- Which customers were my favourite?
- Who brought out my best work?
If you haven’t got any clients yet, don’t worry! Use this self-reflection to dream up who your ideal client is and isn’t to help you better hone in on who you want to attract 😊
Step 2: Review Your Customer Base
A key part of how to find your target audience is identifying where your most profitable and satisfying business comes from. Use a simple spreadsheet with these columns:
- Customer (name or identifier)
- Source (how they found you)
- Product/Service (what they bought)
- Profit (percentage or value)
- Want More? (yes/no)
You’ll quickly start to see which sources and customer types bring the most value!
Step 3: Define and Understand Your Target Market
Next steps, define no more than three distinct audience segments. For each one, outline:
- Where they spend time online (social media platforms, search engines, online communities)
- Where they are offline (local events, organisations, communities)
- What interests and hobbies they have (these help build relatable content!)
- Their core needs and pain points
- The emotions behind those needs (e.g., stress, frustration, overwhelm)
- A one-line message that speaks directly to their desires or struggles
By getting clear on both the logical and emotional needs of your audience, you’ll craft messages that hit home with your audience and drive more sales!
Step 4: Create Detailed Customer Profiles
Next, bring your audience to life with detailed customer profiles (also known as buyer personas). This is a powerful step in learning how to find your target audience and connect with them authentically.
For each profile, include:
- Basic demographics (age, gender, job role, etc.)
- Key challenges and motivators
- Personal interests and habits
- Purchase drivers (what makes them say “yes”)
Name each persona after a real client if possible. Refer back to these profiles when creating content, designing services, or planning your marketing campaigns.
Step 5: Find the Balance Between Acquisition and Retention
The final step in this process is to find the balance between acquiring and retaining clients. Your current audience matters more than new leads. It’s not about always going after new clients, it’s about recognising the clients that you have and deepening relationships with the right ones.
Here’s how you can retain your ideal clients:
- Share testimonials, case studies, and success stories from your clients
- Communication is key – make sure you’re communicating consistently and meaningfully
- Focus on offering value at every step – it’s not all about paid services, offer real value to your clients, and they’ll keep working with you!
- Know your customer so well that you can anticipate their future wants and needs (even before they can!)
Taking the time to nurture current clients pays off! It’s often easier (and more profitable) to grow your business with existing customers than always chasing new ones!
Conclusion
When you truly understand your ideal client, everything else falls into place!
You’ll:
- See increased engagement and conversions by speaking directly to the right people
- Build stronger brand trust and credibility
- Improve customer loyalty
- Reduce wasted time and marketing costs chasing the wrong leads
If you try this 5-step process, please let us know! We’d love to hear how you get on targeting your ideal clients 😊
Meet the Mentor
This guide is based on insights from Anna Short! Anna is the founder of Boo!Marketing and a Digital Boost volunteer mentor 😊
Anna’s known for her simple approach to marketing, breaking down complex concepts and turning them into understandable action plans for small business owners!
