More often than not, organizations with an online presence do not have a clear picture of who they are engaging. When asked, they might answer:
“Our customers”
“Interested parties”
“The social media community…”
A business, service or brand must know with whom they are engaging or the relationship cannot move forward. Social media is no different. A social media presence that does not factor in the key role that audience plays is one destined to fail.
So, what do we mean by “audience”?
Your audiences are those that allow your business to exist including customers, influencers, subscribers, stockholders, donors, employees, media, etc…
At SocialDirect, our planning process begins with an examination of our clients’ audience(s):
- Who are our best customers? Why?
- Who influences the desired outcome (e.g. purchase, join, donate, etc…)?
- Where do they currently spend time online? When?
- What do they do while online?
- Who are our most active online customers?
This information allows us to build actionable customer profiles which drive our ongoing digital communication efforts. The benefits of better audience understanding include:
- The ability to create sharper, more relevant content
- Targeting messaging to specific customer profiles
- Feedback and engagement becomes more meaningful
- The opportunity to identify and motivate our most ardent fans
Just as in any conversation, the more knowledge we have the better the dialogue. So, take the time to learn and understand your audiences before engaging online. Your audiences will appreciate the effort.
SocialDirect is a social media marketing agency located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We help regional and national brands connect with their customers.
