Chapter 3: Identifying Target Audiences in Social Media Marketing

The Importance of Targeting in SMM

• Targeting in SMM involves:

  • Reaching the right person.

  • Delivering the right content.

  • At the right place.

  • In the right format.

  • In the right language.

  • On the right device.

The Targeting Process in SMM

• Common characteristics used to profile target markets:

  • Demographics

  • Geographics

  • Lifestyles/Psychographics

• Identifying and segmenting the target market is crucial.

• Campaigns are typically designed for a single market segment.

"Big Data" Expands Targeting Options

• "Big data" includes data from audio and video files, expanding targeting capabilities.

• Marketers can use big data for:

  • Behavioral targeting

  • Connection targeting

  • Interest targeting

  • Look-alike targeting

  • Custom targeting

  • Location targeting

• Important warnings:

  • Platform targeting options vary.

  • Advertisers often receive new targeting options before brand pages.

  • Target audience descriptions are becoming richer.

    • Example 1: Facebook users over 55 who use Facebook weekly and belong to travel interest groups (for fall/winter tour packages).

    • Example 2: LinkedIn users in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota who list SMM among their skills (for an SMM conference in Chicago).

    • Example 3: Instagram users who post from Los Angeles beaches over Labour Day weekend (for a local restaurant).

    • Example 4: Brand page fans who visit the brand’s retail stores (for a special, limited-time in-store coupon offer).

The Persona Development Cycle

• Experienced marketers use personas, while new marketers develop them through intuition, trial and error, and market research.

• Three-Step Persona Development Cycle:

  • Identify persona roles

  • List needs and situational triggers

  • Create messaging objectives

The Forrester Social Technographics Ladder

• Social Technographics Profile consists of seven personas:

  • Creators

  • Conversationalists

  • Critics

  • Collectors

  • Joiners

  • Spectators

  • Inactives

• Most social media users do not create content.

  
  
  The Forrester Social Technographics Ladder
  
  - The Forrester Social Technographics Ladder is a model that categorises online users based on their social media activities and participation. - It segments users into seven distinct personas:
  
  -Creators: These users actively create and publish content such as blog posts, videos, articles, and music.
  
  -Conversationalists: They actively engage in discussions and share their opinions through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
  
  -Critics: These users evaluate and critique content by writing reviews, commenting on blogs, and participating in forums.
  
  -Collectors: They gather and organise information, often using RSS feeds, social bookmarking sites, and other tools to save and share content.
  
  - Joiners: These users maintain a social media presence and connect with others on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn.
  
  - Spectators: The largest group, they primarily consume content without actively creating or participating.
  
  - Inactives: These users are not involved in social media activities at all.
  
  - Key Points:
  

  -Content Creation: Most social media users are spectators and do not actively create content.
  
  -Marketing Strategy: Understanding these personas helps marketers tailor their strategies to engage different types of users effectively.

  
  -User Behaviour: Each persona exhibits distinct online behaviours, influencing how they interact with content and brands.
  
  

Completing the Media Plan for Each Audience

• After personas and messaging objectives are complete, marketers must:

  • Choose the media mix.

  • Schedule each post on each platform.

  • Execute the schedule.

  • Monitor and respond to posts.

Optimizing Posts and Post Timing

• Optimizing for SMM means making user profiles, blog posts, and pins as visible as possible.

• No one-size-fits-all approach to optimization.

• Each platform is different.

• Resources are available online to provide guidance.

Targeting Ads and Posts on Social Platforms

• Focus on targeting brand posts (owned media with no advertising costs).

• Ads on social media are paid media (PPC or sponsored posts).

• Advertisers get targeting options first.

• Brand pages have a more limited set of targeting options than ads.

• Personal pages have very limited options (e.g., "everyone," "your circles").

• LinkedIn may be the repository of much of your personal branding content, but you can develop communities on a variety of platforms and reach them with targeted content that will enhance your brand.

• Develop your audiences carefully and use them with respect. If you do, they will be a huge asset to your personal brand.

• Identifying Audiences for Personal Branding Efforts:

  • Lesson #1: LinkedIn groups expressly forbid self-promotion.

  • Lesson #2: It is possible to download a list of connections and analyze them offline.

  • Lesson #3: The LinkedIn Sales Navigator tool, a paid feature, replaced and enhanced the old Relationship features.

  • Lesson #4: Messaging individual contacts with information they might find useful is an important way to maintain and reinforce connections on LinkedIn.

  • Lesson #5: LinkedIn may be the repository of much of your personal branding content, but you can develop communities on a variety of platforms and reach them with targeted content that will enhance your brand.

    • Develop your audiences carefully and use them with respect. If you do, they will be a huge asset to your personal brand.

Ad Targeting on Selected Platforms

• Ad targeting options inform post targeting.

• Facebook makes ad targeting options visible on personal profiles.

• Twitter offers advertisers:

  • Audience targeting (e.g., followers of competitors, look-alike audiences).

  • Behavior targeting (based on online and offline product-related behaviors).

  • Keyword targeting (in searches or Tweets).

  • Event targeting (using a global event calendar and data from previous years).

• YouTube (using Google Analytics) allows targeting by custom intent, life events, and keywords.

• Pinterest allows targeting based on interests, keywords, and audiences.

• Snapchat has extensive audience targeting options.

• Emojis in hashtags on Instagram make brands and trends searchable.

Audience Targeting on Facebook

• Facebook's targeting options have evolved:

  • Initial options were demographics: gender, relationship status, educational status, age, location, and language.

  • Later, Facebook introduced targeting by interests that are supplied by the brand as they develop the post.

• Targeting options vary by platform.

• Social media marketers must understand platform best practices.

Best Practices for Targeting Branded Posts

• Understand which platforms the target audience uses and how they use them.

• Optimize content and posting schedule for each platform.

• Use the targeting capabilities of each platform.

• Monitor results and continuously improve content, engagement, and overall marketing effectiveness.

Chapter Summary

• Properly targeting the audience can make the difference in SMM

• The targeting process in SMM involves sending the right message to the right person at the right time.

• Persona development is the beginning of the targeting process.

• The SMM media plan outlines the target audience, personas, platforms for each persona and the optimal times to post.

• Best practices for targeting branded posts include the use of keywords, hashtags, and emojis.

• Personal branding also involves persona development and targeting.

DETAILED NOTES:

The Importance of Targeting in SMM

• Targeting in SMM is crucial because it ensures that marketing efforts are efficient and effective by:

  • Reaching the right person:

    • Identifying the ideal audience ensures that marketing messages resonate with individuals who are most likely to be interested in the product or service.

  • Delivering the right content:

    • Tailoring content to match the preferences and needs of the target audience increases engagement and conversion rates.

  • At the right place:

    • Selecting the appropriate channels and platforms where the target audience is most active maximizes visibility and impact.

  • In the right format:

    • Presenting content in a format that is easily digestible and appealing to the target audience enhances their overall experience.

  • In the right language:

    • Communicating in the language that the target audience understands ensures clarity and avoids misunderstandings.

  • On the right device:

    • Optimizing content for the devices that the target audience uses, such as smartphones or tablets, ensures accessibility and usability.

The Targeting Process in SMM

• Common characteristics used to profile target markets:

  • Demographics:

    • Age, gender, income, education, occupation, and other quantifiable statistics of a given population.

  • Geographics:

    • Region, country, climate, population density, and other geographical variables.

  • Lifestyles/Psychographics:

    • Values, interests, activities, opinions, and attitudes that reflect how people live and make decisions.

• Identifying and segmenting the target market is crucial:

  • Segmentation involves dividing a broad consumer or business market into sub-groups of consumers based on shared characteristics.

• Campaigns are typically designed for a single market segment:

  • Focus allows for more personalized and effective messaging.

"Big Data" Expands Targeting Options

• "Big data" includes data from audio and video files, expanding targeting capabilities:

  • Analyzing unstructured data like audio and video can reveal insights into consumer behavior and preferences that traditional data sources may miss.

• Marketers can use big data for:

  • Behavioral targeting:

    • Targeting consumers based on their past online behavior, such as websites visited, products viewed, and purchases made.

  • Connection targeting:

    • Targeting consumers based on their connections and relationships on social media platforms.

  • Interest targeting:

    • Targeting consumers based on their expressed interests and hobbies.

  • Look-alike targeting:

    • Identifying consumers who share similar characteristics and behaviors with an existing customer base.

  • Custom targeting:

    • Targeting consumers with tailored messages based on their specific attributes and behaviors.

  • Location targeting:

    • Targeting consumers based on their geographic location, allowing for localized marketing campaigns.

• Important warnings:

  • Platform targeting options vary:

    • Different social media platforms offer different targeting capabilities, so marketers need to adapt their strategies accordingly.

  • Advertisers often receive new targeting options before brand pages:

    • Advertisers may have access to advanced targeting features that are not yet available to brand pages, giving them a competitive advantage.

  • Target audience descriptions are becoming richer:

    • Example 1: Facebook users over 55 who use Facebook weekly and belong to travel interest groups (for fall/winter tour packages).

    • Example 2: LinkedIn users in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota who list SMM among their skills (for an SMM conference in Chicago).

    • Example 3: Instagram users who post from Los Angeles beaches over Labour Day weekend (for a local restaurant).

    • Example 4: Brand page fans who visit the brand’s retail stores (for a special, limited-time in-store coupon offer).

The Persona Development Cycle

• Experienced marketers use personas, while new marketers develop them through intuition, trial and error, and market research:

  • Personas are semi-fictional representations of ideal customers based on research and data about existing and prospective customers.

• Three-Step Persona Development Cycle:

  • Identify persona roles:

    • Determine the different types of customers that the business serves.

  • List needs and situational triggers:

    • Understand what motivates each persona and what events or situations prompt them to seek out the business's products or services.

  • Create messaging objectives:

    • Develop targeted messages that address the specific needs and pain points of each persona.

The Forrester Social Technographics Ladder

• Social Technographics Profile consists of seven personas:

  • Creators:

    • These users actively create and publish content such as blog posts, videos, articles, and music.

  • Conversationalists:

    • They actively engage in discussions and share their opinions through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

  • Critics:

    • These users evaluate and critique content by writing reviews, commenting on blogs, and participating in forums.

  • Collectors:

    • They gather and organise information, often using RSS feeds, social bookmarking sites, and other tools to save and share content.

  • Joiners:

    • These users maintain a social media presence and connect with others on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn.

  • Spectators:

    • The largest group, they primarily consume content without actively creating or participating.

  • Inactives:

    • These users are not involved in social media activities at all.

• Most social media users do not create content:

  • Spectators make up the majority of social media users, highlighting the importance of creating content that resonates with this passive audience.

  
  

  
  

  The Forrester Social Technographics Ladder
  

  
  

  - The Forrester Social Technographics Ladder is a model that categorises online users based on their social media activities and participation. - It segments users into seven distinct personas:
  

  
  

  -Creators: These users actively create and publish content such as blog posts, videos, articles, and music.
  

  
  

  -Conversationalists: They actively engage in discussions and share their opinions through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
  

  
  

  -Critics: These users evaluate and critique content by writing reviews, commenting on blogs, and participating in forums.
  

  
  

  -Collectors: They gather and organise information, often using RSS feeds, social bookmarking sites, and other tools to save and share content.
  

  
  

  - Joiners: These users maintain a social media presence and connect with others on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn.
  

  
  

  - Spectators: The largest group, they primarily consume content without actively creating or participating.
  

  
  

  - Inactives: These users are not involved in social media activities at all.
  

  
  

  - Key Points:
  

  -Content Creation: Most social media users are spectators and do not actively create content.
  

  
  

  -Marketing Strategy: Understanding these personas helps marketers tailor their strategies to engage different types of users effectively.

  
  

  -User Behaviour: Each persona exhibits distinct online behaviours, influencing how they interact with content and brands.
  

  
  

Completing the Media Plan for Each Audience

• After personas and messaging objectives are complete, marketers must:

  • Choose the media mix:

    • Select the most appropriate combination of online and offline channels to reach the target audience.

  • Schedule each post on each platform:

    • Plan the timing and frequency of posts to maximize engagement and reach.

  • Execute the schedule:

    • Implement the media plan by posting content according to the established schedule.

  • Monitor and respond to posts:

    • Track the performance of posts and engage with the audience by responding to comments and messages.

Optimizing Posts and Post Timing

• Optimizing for SMM means making user profiles, blog posts, and pins as visible as possible:

  • Optimization involves using relevant keywords, hashtags, and other techniques to improve search engine rankings and increase visibility on social media platforms.

• No one-size-fits-all approach to optimization:

  • Optimization strategies should be tailored to the specific platform, audience, and content.

• Each platform is different:

  • Marketers need to understand the unique characteristics and best practices of each social media platform.

• Resources are available online to provide guidance:

  • Numerous websites, blogs, and forums offer tips and advice on how to optimize social media content and campaigns.

Targeting Ads and Posts on Social Platforms

• Focus on targeting brand posts (owned media with no advertising costs):

  • Brand posts are organic content that businesses share on their social media profiles to engage with their audience.

• Ads on social media are paid media (PPC or sponsored posts):

  • Social media advertising involves paying to display ads to a targeted audience on social media platforms.

• Advertisers get targeting options first:

  • Social media platforms often provide advertisers with advanced targeting capabilities that are not available to regular users.

• Brand pages have a more limited set of targeting options than ads:

  • Brand pages typically have fewer targeting options compared to ads, limiting their ability to reach specific audience segments.

• Personal pages have very limited options (e.g., "everyone," "your circles"):

  • Personal pages have the most basic targeting options, allowing users to share content with everyone or only their friends and family.

• LinkedIn may be the repository of much of your personal branding content, but you can develop communities on a variety of platforms and reach them with targeted content that will enhance your brand:

  • Personal branding involves creating a unique and compelling identity for oneself to establish credibility and attract opportunities.

• Develop your audiences carefully and use them with respect. If you do, they will be a huge asset to your personal brand:

  • Building and nurturing relationships with the target audience is essential for personal branding success.

• Identifying Audiences for Personal Branding Efforts:

  • Lesson #1: LinkedIn groups expressly forbid self-promotion:

    • Avoid posting promotional content in LinkedIn groups to maintain credibility and respect community guidelines.

  • Lesson #2: It is possible to download a list of connections and analyze them offline:

    • Analyzing connections can provide insights into their interests, skills, and professional backgrounds.

  • Lesson #3: The LinkedIn Sales Navigator tool, a paid feature, replaced and enhanced the old Relationship features:

    • Sales Navigator offers advanced tools for identifying and engaging with potential leads and customers on LinkedIn.

  • Lesson #4: Messaging individual contacts with information they might find useful is an important way to maintain and reinforce connections on LinkedIn:

    • Personalized messaging can help build rapport and strengthen relationships with contacts.

  • Lesson #5: LinkedIn may be the repository of much of your personal branding content, but you can develop communities on a variety of platforms and reach them with targeted content that will enhance your brand:

    • Develop your audiences carefully and use them with respect. If you do, they will be a huge asset to your personal brand.

Ad Targeting on Selected Platforms

• Ad targeting options inform post targeting:

  • The targeting options available for ads can provide insights into the interests and behaviors of the target audience, which can inform the targeting of organic posts.

• Facebook makes ad targeting options visible on personal profiles:

  • Facebook allows users to see the targeting criteria that advertisers use to reach them, increasing transparency and awareness.

• Twitter offers advertisers:

  • Audience targeting (e.g., followers of competitors, look-alike audiences):

    • Reach users who are similar to the advertiser's existing customers or who follow their competitors.

  • Behavior targeting (based on online and offline product-related behaviors):

    • Target users based on their online and offline activities, such as purchases, website visits, and app usage.

  • Keyword targeting (in searches or Tweets):

    • Reach users who are searching for or tweeting about specific keywords related to the advertiser's products or services.

  • Event targeting (using a global event calendar and data from previous years):

    • Target users who are attending or interested in specific events, such as concerts, conferences, or festivals.

• YouTube (using Google Analytics) allows targeting by custom intent, life events, and keywords:

  • YouTube provides a range of targeting options to reach viewers based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors.

• Pinterest allows targeting based on interests, keywords, and audiences:

  • Pinterest enables advertisers to reach users who are interested in specific topics, searching for relevant keywords, or part of custom audiences.

• Snapchat has extensive audience targeting options:

  • Snapchat offers a variety of targeting options, including demographics, interests, behaviors, and location.

• Emojis in hashtags on Instagram make brands and trends searchable:

  • Emojis can be used in hashtags on Instagram to increase the visibility and discoverability of branded content.

Audience Targeting on Facebook

• Facebook's targeting options have evolved:

  • Initial options were demographics: gender, relationship status, educational status, age, location, and language:

    • Facebook initially focused on demographic targeting to reach users based on their basic characteristics.

  • Later, Facebook introduced targeting by interests that are supplied by the brand as they develop the post:

    • Facebook expanded its targeting capabilities to include interests, allowing advertisers to reach users who are passionate about specific topics.

• Targeting options vary by platform:

  • Different social media platforms offer different targeting options, so marketers need to adapt their strategies accordingly.

• Social media marketers must understand platform best practices:

  • Marketers need to stay up-to-date on the latest best practices for each social media platform to maximize the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Best Practices for Targeting Branded Posts

• Understand which platforms the target audience uses and how they use them:

  • Conduct research to identify the social media platforms that the target audience frequents and how they engage with content on those platforms.

• Optimize content and posting schedule for each platform:

  • Tailor content and posting schedules to align with the unique characteristics and best practices of each social media platform.

• Use the targeting capabilities of each platform:

  • Leverage the targeting options available on each social media platform to reach the most relevant audience segments.

• Monitor results and continuously improve content, engagement, and overall marketing effectiveness:

  • Track the performance of social media campaigns and make adjustments to improve content, engagement, and overall marketing effectiveness.

Chapter Summary

• Properly targeting the audience can make the difference in SMM:

  • Effective targeting is essential for maximizing the impact of social media marketing efforts.

• The targeting process in SMM involves sending the right message to the right person at the right time:

  • Timing and relevance are crucial factors in successful social media marketing.

• Persona development is the beginning of the targeting process:

  • Creating detailed personas helps marketers understand their target audience and develop more effective marketing strategies.

• The SMM media plan outlines the target audience, personas, platforms for each persona and the optimal times to post:

  • A well-defined media plan is essential for guiding social media marketing efforts and ensuring that they are aligned with business goals.

• Best practices for targeting branded posts include the use of keywords, hashtags, and emojis:

  • Keywords, hashtags, and emojis can help increase the visibility and discoverability of branded content on social media platforms.

• Personal branding also involves persona development and targeting:

  • Personal branding requires understanding the target audience and tailoring content to resonate with their interests and needs.