This step was maybe easier in a distant past, when the main hub of broader information flow was a much narrower field. Today, we have so many channels and so many platforms that it can seem overwhelming to even start trying. But it is also in a way easier now. Precisely because of social media, and all the different currents and creeks of information flow, that let you get to know people, wishes, desires and challenges. Also, the fast changing scene of trusted channels puts communication specialists in a new kind of pickle.
The trick, of course, is knowing how to do it. But before you start off on that road, you need to know who. So it’s basically a kind of Moment-22-scenario. But this, too, can be reversed into a win-win. You have an idea, I would say, of the typical audience you would want to reach. And by studying them you may find patterns that lead to other audiences, to gate-keepers and to secondary target groups.
Quite recently, I found myself in a Target group-analysis workshop, where the discussion was mainly focused on which channels we should use to reach our main target groups. So I reversed the discussion, by starting to ask questions about the pre-knowledge of the different target groups, their needs, and their challenges. And it turned out that my co-workers had a really good understanding and knowledge about their target groups – but this had not so far been used in a structured way to help prioritizing activities. This discussion took us further in the analysis as to what we really should prioritize in terms of activities. And, I should hope, a better use of resources for more efficient communication.
I sometimes experience that target groups are more analyzed and elaborated for other fields within communication, such as traditional marketing, content marketing or SEO. Possibly it’s in the nature of things – PR meaning “Public relations” and the definition of the field embraces an inherent unclarity, or, at the least, very wide frames. But that does not mean that target group knowledge is unimportant for PR. A good start is to look back into your business target groups, and from that, find the journalistic media and context, the social media accounts and influencers that are most relevant for your business target groups.
I write more about knowing your audience in the posts about Target groups on this blog.
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