Just before the release of the first Apple iPhone in 2007, NPR, an American media organization, released a publication that highlighted seven basic things people should consider before buying an iPhone (the new mobile phone that was coming into the market in two days). While it might interest you to want to know the features of the "about-to-be-released new mobile phone" that the publication discussed, I would love for you to join me in analyzing this sentence from the introduction.

According to NPR, on the topic "Seven Things to Consider Before Buying an iPhone"

Apple's iPhone isn't even for sale yet, but already, consumers are lining up to purchase the gadget.

I am curious as to why customers (the audience) were lining up to buy a product that was not even up for grabs yet. In our curiosity, one truth is pointed out – the new product addressed pain points. It was "nothing that anybody ever saw," according to the features NPR talked about, like the cool factor—sleek style, the multimedia jojo—it's a cell phone, a music player, it's a camera. Then the internet ease of use feature – site will look as they do on regular computers because of the screen size.

Now you see that Apple attracted a great deal of people (audience) even before the release of the iPhone. They followed a strategic approach (addressing pain points), and not only that, they did it the right way. Continue reading to learn the right way to build a loyal audience for your business.

Who is the Audience?

While audiences are "spectators" in sports, "the people watching a play" in drama, in business, the term "audience" refers to the group of people who may be interested in your goods or services. They're the people you want to connect with and interact with by offering them something that solves their needs. And depending on what you're offering, the audience can differ in many ways. This is why we have something called a "target audience". 

Now, when we're talking about the "target audience", it's more specific. Specific in the sense that, you've reduced your pursuit from a large group of people to a more focused and smaller set of individuals who are most likely to buy or use what you're offering.

For instance, Dancefitme, a workout app that helps people lose weight in 28 days by offering a fun dance, would only target people who are in search of means to reach their fitness goals without having to go to the gym. Or involved in a road walkout. Likewise, Flo, a health app that enables women to track their periods, predict their cycles and learn how to get ready for conception, pregnancy, early parenthood, and even menopause, targets generally adult women.

So you see that, although the audience is very important to the growth of every business, the target audience is most important because these are the specific people your goods or services revolve around. When referring to specificity, know that it ranges from age, gender, demography, and even career, among others. It's very important to keep this in mind when developing your marketing strategy.

How to find your audience as a business

For any business, the audience is power. It takes a strategic approach and marketing to attract the target audience for your product or service. However, many people tend to go the wrong way when finding their target audience. Here is a step-by-step guide:

#1. Market research

To begin, do in-depth market research. Market research here involves examining your industry/niche, your competitors, and related businesses. Determine who they are aiming at and whether any gaps or neglected niches exist.

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Market research is exactly one of the first steps that helped establish Airbnb. The opportunity Joe Gebbia spotted made him write to Brian Chesky that they could "make a few bucks by turning their apartment into a designer's bed and breakfast."  You see from their story that they began by locating a void in the peer-to-peer lodging industry.

#2. Define your product or Service

After market research,  clearly state the services or products your startup provides like Airbnb's founders decided to offer lodging services. Recognize your product's or service's special advantages and features. This will make it clear to you who might benefit from it. 

Apple is another good illustration. They clearly state that their products are modern, elegant, and user-friendly. So people who value design, innovation, and a flawless user experience are their target market. 

#.3 Develop Buyer Personas

This step revolves around demographics. For your target demographic, create thorough buyer personas. These imaginary characters serve as representations of your ideal clients. Demographics, behaviors, pain points, and reasons should all be included. You will have a clearer idea of your intended audience after reading this.

A strong example here is the marketing software provider HubSpot. You see that their ideal clients are represented by profiles like "Marketing Mary" and "Owner Ollie." With this, Hubspot has been able to adjust content and services to particular needs.

#4. Analyze Your Competition

You see, there's no industry in business that does not have competitors (people who are offering similar services or products). Hence, it's important to look at the clientele of your competitors as a startup. Who are they drawing to them? What channels and communications do they employ? Adopting and improving on their strategies can help you learn more about possible customers and then steal some for your business.

Since you would understand where to improve and probably offer a better experience than your competitors. Or discover how to generate a competitive advantage for your own startup. This was how Apple successfully had "customers lining up to buy" the first Apple iPhone in 2007. They had created an offer and a competitive advantage for themselves through their product features and style.

#5. Social media listening

First, what is social listening? Social listening refers to the process of monitoring online conversations to access key information about your business, industry, and competitors, among others. Because, nowadays, people communicate their feelings and experiences on social media and businesses have been leveraging "social media trends" to grow and improve their offerings. 

You too should use the channels social media provides to listen to discussions about your brand, competitors, and industry. You can observe conversations, keywords, and hashtags to spot trends and new customers with the aid of tools like social media monitoring software like Hootsuite, ZohoSocial, etc.

#6. Producing Content: 

Create content that will appeal to your target audience. Address their concerns and interests with social media posts, blog articles, videos, or webinars. To determine the level of interest, track audience involvement and feedback.

#7. Network

Networking is one of the fastest ways for businesses to find their target audience. It involves attending conferences, webinars, industry events, and neighborhood meetups and leveraging these platforms to discuss your offering. Through networking, you can make connections with new customers and learn important details about their requirements and preferences.

#8. Feedback and surveys 

If you already have a user base or customers, or you have been able to grow a mouthful with your marketing effort, collect feedback from them. This is how Amazon improves customers' experiences because they request reviews after every purchase and they take these reviews seriously.

Review helps you understand your target audience's decision-making process. And they might even become more focused as a result of the survey.Start small with your marketing initiatives, possibly with a few well-targeted internet ads or social media campaigns. Test and refine. Keep an eye on the results and modify your strategies as necessary.

#9. Website data with Google Analytics

If you have a website, you can use analytics programs like Google Analytics to see who is viewing it. To target a certain group of people, consider their behavior, demographics, and interests.

#10.Iterate

Here's where many business owners get it wrong. Finding your target audience requires constant effort, not a single try or a one-week effort. Prepare to modify your plan as your startup expands and changes. Your target audience can shift, so make adjustments as necessary. Many businesses pivot at this point. For instance, Slack and Netflix, among others. If this turns out to be your story, embrace it. 

Why does the audience matter to a business?

Understanding the relevance of the audience to any business is like understanding why you should eat and drink water every day as a human being. It's like you understand the relevance of root to a plant's growth (it cannot survive without it). 

The audience is the foundation of any business because it is the basis for the business idea, product/service generation, and marketing effort. For instance, Airbnb would probably never exist if the design conference that presented an opportunity wasn't held. 

The audience is any business' main source of income and sustainability. They are the ones that make the purchases, which provide the cash flow required for ongoing operations, growth, and innovation. 

The audience gives businesses feedback that helps them improve. The audience (especially satisfied ones) also spreads the news that a certain product or service exists. They either tell their family members, friends, or colleagues, as the case may be.

The audience is so important to not only startups but businesses in general since they are more than just a group of potential customers. 

What matters to the audience? 

Your target audience is people for whom you are out to meet their needs and address their pain points as a business. You're addressing their pain points because there are things that matter to them. Here is where we'll discuss these things. 

• Value: Always remember that you're out to address a need or pain point. The only way to do this is by offering value. Value to the audience entails the importance of your offering or the degree of effect that your product or service would have on them. Which you portray through your marketing strategies–social media platforms, Google ads, email marketing, newsletters, etc. The value of your content is the first point of contact your business has with a target audience.

• Accessibility: Whether it's through user-friendly interfaces, a variety of channels, or taking into account varied demands, make sure your goods, services, and information are readily available to your audience.

• Trustworthiness/Authenticity: Build trust by being as original and real as possible. Keep your word, protect the security of your data, and be consistent in your behavior and communications.

• Personalization: This is now very common in marketing. It means tailoring your communications and products to each individual's preferences and needs to demonstrate that you are aware of and concerned about them as a unique group. Audiences value personalization because it shows you understand them.

• Clarity: Let's say you're a skincare brand, for instance. Your audience values clearly stated guidance on how to use your product, including the time of day that it's most favorable to use. Clarity of use ensures the product is not abused or misused.

• Timeliness: People value businesses that provide answers and responses on time. Keep in mind the urgency of your audience. You can use AI-powered tools to automate responses to ease communication.

• Feedback: Feedback matters to your audience because it is evidence that you value their opinion. Feedback allows you to learn about their complaints and improve. 

• Engagement: Audiences love to see an emotional connection between your offering and their needs. You can establish this connection by using material and storytelling that they can relate to.

• Problem-solving: Every customer wants to be sure you have what it takes to find a solution to their needs. Demonstrate your dedication to finding effective solutions to your audience's problems and easing their pain spots.

• Consistency: Audiences also value consistency from businesses because it proves their authenticity and worth. 

How to build an audience

In business, almost every process has guidelines. So in this session, we're looking at the Dos and Don'ts of building an audience. 

The Dos are:

• Define Your Niche: The interests of your target audience should be known first. This will guide your marketing campaigns and ensure you're headed in the right direction.

• Share value:  As soon as you identify your niche and get a business idea, convey value as much as possible through your content in social media platforms, newsletters, or Google ads. Your content is valuable when you address a need and give the target audience reasons to look twice at your offering.

• Be consistent: Consistency is key to maintaining your audience's interest and keeping them coming back for more.

• Be Authentic: In all of your contacts, be sincere and open. Authenticity creates a loyal following and inspires trust.

• Engage them: Engage your audience directly through social media, comments, and messages. Encourage interactions through engaging content.

• Prioritize quality over quantity when creating content or products. A smaller, more active audience is preferable to a larger, less active one.

• Leverage Different Platforms: Expand your internet presence to connect with more people. Use email marketing, social media, and other avenues.

• Use Analytics: Use analytics tools to keep tabs on the habits and preferences of your audience. Adapt your strategy in light of the evidence.

Now the Don'ts of building an audience are:

• Don't be unauthentic: Steer clear of lies and deceptive statements. Trust can only be developed by being genuine.

• Don't Spam: Do not oversaturate your audience with messages or advertisements. Respect their inbox and their time.

• Don't Ignore Feedback: Pay attention to your audience's comments, both positive and negative. It can cause a disconnect if you ignore it.

• While diversifying your presence is crucial, avoid overextending yourself. Pay attention to the platforms and tactics that are most effective for your audience.

• Leverage many analytics: Don't just concentrate on analytics like followers or like counts. They don't necessarily represent sincere engagement or professional achievement.

• Don't Copy Competitors: It's acceptable to be inspired by successful competitors, but never imitate them verbatim. Find your distinct voice and strategy.

• Don't rush: Audience development takes time. Do not rush but be persistent and patient.

Final thoughts

Any business must develop an audience for growth and sustainability. You must understand the demands of your target audience, tailor the material, and be consistent if you want to do it correctly. Finding your audience is made easier with the aid of market research, product or service definition, buyer persona creation, and competitor analysis. Key strategies include social media listening, useful content creation, networking, and feedback. 

Value, accessibility, reliability, personalization, clarity, promptness, feedback, engagement, problem-solving, and consistency are all things that audiences value. Dos include picking a niche, offering value, and utilizing analytics. Don'ts include refraining from being untruthful, spamming, dismissing criticism, and speeding the process. Building an audience is a never-ending process that, when done well, cultivates a devoted and active community.

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