Know Thy Audience

     The emergence of social media has made it possible for businesses and non-profits alike to market their products and services in a more interactive format. The social media marketing efforts undertaken by many organizations are however failing to reach full potential.  This lack of return often occurs because organizations have designed a marketing message without taking the time to consider the most applicable target audience.  Social media marketing is similar to traditional marketing in the fact that a carefully devised marketing plan greatly increases the likelihood of success.  I have talked to many individuals that brag about their company’s advancement into the social media realm, yet the material they post fails to engage consumers, and effectively communicate the organization’s selling proposition. 

Image http://cdn.netrafic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/audience.gif

Identifying the appropriate audience for your organization’s social media marketing begins by analyzing the primary source of your organization’s revenue.  For some organization this process is very straightforward and requires relatively little thought.  For instance, entities that produce goods meant for consumer use would want to direct their social media marketing efforts towards end users.  It is important to consider however that the consumer market is very large, so it is critical that the time be taken to narrow down the audience within this segment.  As a brief example, consider that a producer of expensive perfume is developing a social media marketing plan.  They wouldn’t be well served to craft a strategy that appeals to men, but rather they might want to focus on affluent women between the ages of 30-62 as this audience is much more likely to purchase their product.

Image: http://2.bp.blogspot.com

While some individuals have been very eager to adopt social media marketing practices, there remain many businesses that are unconvinced that social media is right for them.  If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say that social media isn’t right for them because their business is b2b, well, I’d probably have at least 50 cents by now.  Just because your organization’s business model doesn't follow a b2c structure doesn’t mean that social media can’t benefit your organization.  If an organization is based on a b2b model, businesses that would potentially purchase your products or services would in fact be the target audience. Armed with that information, the business would need to develop a social media strategy that focuses on that audience.

For profit organizations are not the only ones that can benefit from the use of social media marketing.  Non-profits might not be based on a traditional revenue generating model, but they do require money to remain in operation.  This money comes from donors, making them the primary target audience for non-profits.  Non-profits should develop a social media marketing strategy that is focused on the types of individuals likely to donate to their organization, and they can keep current donors up to date on the organizations activities.  Social media and the marketing potential it presents can be a great benefit to organizations, but in order to get the most out of these endeavors, it is essential to remember that a successful social media marketing strategy begins by identifying your organization’s target audience.