Alright, you’ve come up with the perfect business plan, developed the perfect product and are ready to take it to the next level. You feel an exhilarating feeling of success and achievement, but then you realize something: the hard work is just now beginning.

Before you get too excited about your future, take some time to think about who you are selling to. Developing your target market is the first step in creating a content marketing campaign. After you have accomplished this, you will be able to know exactly what your customers are looking for when it comes to content and how they expect to get it. Here are some steps for you to follow.

Don’t be too Broad

The first mistake that people make when they are developing a content marketing target market is that they are way too broad. For example, some marketers may start out by saying they want to target men. This is a good start, but you should keep in mind that an 18 year old man has many different interests and concerns than he will have when he is 65.

A better approach is to narrow down your playing field. Who is your product designed for? Does it work best with college students or those fixing to retire? Answering a few questions about your product can help you narrow down your target market.

It is also best to not have only one target market. Some people may relate to your products differently than others. Does this mean you should exclude them when you are thinking about the content for your website or email campaigns? Absolutely not! Instead, you need to bring them into a circle of their own so you can create content specific to their needs, desires and interests.

Know where your Target Market Is

After you have developed your specific groups of people you are marketing too, take some time learning more about them. Where do they like to spend their free time? What sites do they visit? What do their lives look like? These are all questions that can help you to determine exactly where your target market actually is.

Knowing where your target market spends their time is important because it will help you deliver your content directly to them. Think about it this way, would you expect to see and advertisement for women’s fashion at a golf course? The answer is no. This is because the people who typically buy women’s fashion aren’t found at a golf course. Instead, they are found at the mall or in magazines.

This same concept can be taken to the internet in the forms of content marketing. Knowing where your target market is will help you to become involved in their online communities. Not only will this give you direct access to the people buying your products, but you will also be able to appear as though you are an authority in your industry.

Look at your Competition

Every business on the planet has competition. This is good for both parties in the long run because it helps to drive sales and regulate prices. However, it is important that you choose a market that is not completely saturated by the competition. For example, if you are considering opening a hardware store in a small town, you may find this process challenging if there are already multiple hardware stores available. Your target market will have no reason to switch their business to your store if you aren’t offering them anything new.

Instead, you will need to search out a target market that is unique; one that you can offer something different. Even if you do offer the same types of products as a competitor, you should look to take a different approach on the entire concept. This means you will need to revamp your idea of a target market and begin thinking outside the box.

Get Those Emails Working for You

Once you have built a relationship with members of your target market, it’s time to get them involved with you. This is where you begin building an email list. With this list, you can then gear your email content towards your market in order to bring them even more on board with your products and services.

However, while you are selling to these customers, you can also begin building your products to better suit them. This is something that can also be done through the email system by creating a survey that your customers can take. A survey is an easy way to get some feedback on your products. You can then learn more about what your product is or isn’t doing right for your customers.

Along with these types of emails, you should also take some time attempting to build your email list even further. The best way to do this is to ask those already on your list to share the emails with their friends. Some companies do well when they offer a discount for the customer and the person they share the message with. However, you should first make sure that the content you are sharing is actually worth sharing before you request them to take this action.

Nothing works quite as well for content marketing than knowing your target market inside and out. This concept is something that we can be a great asset for when you are building this information.

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