How to target audience when doing online business
Targeting the right audience is crucial to the success of any online business. If you try to sell to “everyone,” you’ll end up selling to no one. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to identify, find, and reach your target audience effectively in 2025:
🎯 STEP 1: Define Your Ideal Customer (Customer Avatar)
Start by answering these questions:
| Category | Details |
| Demographics | Age, gender, income, education, job title, marital status |
| Location | Where do they live? Country, region, city? |
| Psychographics | Values, interests, attitudes, lifestyle, hobbies |
| Pain Points | What problems do they face that your product solves? |
| Buying Behavior | Where do they shop online? What platforms do they use? |
👉 Example:
If you’re selling fitness plans for new moms:
- Women, 25–35
- Urban/suburban
- Interested in postpartum recovery, nutrition, and self-care
- Use Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest
📊 STEP 2: Do Market Research
Use data tools and real feedback to validate your audience.
🔍 Tools for Research:
- Google Trends – See what people are searching for
- Answer the Public – Find questions people ask online
- Meta Ads Library – Spy on competitor ads and see who they’re targeting
- Reddit, Quora, Facebook Groups – Join niche communities and read what your audience is saying
🧠 STEP 3: Create Buyer Personas
Make 2–3 fictional profiles of your ideal customers.
Example Persona:
Name: Sarah
Age: 29
Job: Nurse, new mom
Goals: Lose baby weight, manage stress, shop conveniently
Platforms: Instagram, Facebook
Problem: No time to go to gym
Solution: At-home workouts with daily motivation emails
Use these personas to tailor your marketing language, offers, and platforms.
📱 STEP 4: Choose the Right Marketing Channels
Different audiences hang out on different platforms. Match your content to where your audience lives
Targeting the right audience is one of the most important parts of building a successful online business. If you get this right, you’ll save money, increase sales, and grow faster.
Here’s a complete step-by-step guide on how to target the right audience when doing online business:
✅ Step 1:
Clearly Define What You Sell
Before you find your audience, you must clearly understand your product or service.
Ask yourself:
- What problem does my product solve?
- What need does it fulfill?
- What makes it different or better than competitors?
💡 Example:
If you sell a vegan skincare line, your product solves the problem of sensitive skin with clean, cruelty-free ingredients.
How to target audience when doing online business
🎯 Step 2:
Create a Customer Avatar (Ideal Buyer)
Your product isn’t for “everyone.” Build a clear profile of who you want to reach.
Ask:
| Question | Example |
| Who are they? | Age, gender, income, job title, education |
| Where are they? | Country, city, rural/urban |
| What are their goals? | Save time, make money, improve health, look good |
| What problems do they have? | Skin issues, debt, time management |
| Where do they hang out online? | Instagram? TikTok? YouTube? LinkedIn? |
✅ Pro Tip: Make multiple buyer personas if you sell to different customer types.
🔍 Step 3:
Do Market Research
Use tools to gather real data:
| Tool | Use |
| Google Trends | Shows what people are searching |
| AnswerThePublic.com | Reveals real questions people ask |
| Reddit & Quora | Learn what your niche talks and complains about |
| Facebook Groups & Communities | Listen to discussions inside niche groups |
| Competitor Research | Look at who your competition targets and how |
💡 See who your competitors are talking to in their ads, emails, and social media posts.
📊 Step 4:
Segment Your Audience
Don’t treat all customers the same. Break them into segments based on:
- Demographics: Age, gender, location
- Psychographics: Beliefs, lifestyle, values
- Behavior: New visitors vs repeat buyers, email openers, clickers
- Interests: Fitness, parenting, finance, tech, fashion, etc.
✅ This helps you craft specific messages and offers for each group.
📱 Step 5:
Use the Right Platforms
Choose platforms based on where your audience spends time:
| Platform | Ideal Audience |
| Fashion, beauty, lifestyle, young adults | |
| TikTok | Gen Z, viral content, short-form entertainment |
| Older adults, parents, community-based | |
| Professionals, B2B, coaches, consultants | |
| YouTube | Educational content, product reviews, long-form content |
| Home decor, DIY, fashion, planning, women-heavy audience |
🛠 Step 6:
Set Up Tracking & Analytics
Tools:
- Meta Pixel (Facebook/Instagram)
- Google Analytics
- Hotjar (see where people click on your site)
- Email marketing software (like ConvertKit, MailerLite)
Use these tools to:
- Track who visits your site
- What they click
- Where they drop off
- What content or ads convert best
💬 Step 7:
Talk Their Language
When you speak your audience’s language, they listen.
Use words and phrases they already use in forums, reviews, or comments. Mirror their tone and style in your:
- Ads
- Emails
- Website copy
- Product descriptions
💡 If your target is young moms, your tone may be warm, encouraging, and helpful. If it’s business executives, be professional and value-driven.
📣 Step 8:
Run Targeted Ads
Use ad platforms to reach your audience with laser focus:
Facebook/Instagram Ads:
- Target by age, interests, behavior, job title, life events
- Example: Women, 25–40, who are interested in yoga and skincare
Google Ads:
- Target people actively searching for your product or service
YouTube Ads:
- Reach based on video topics and viewer behavior
✅ Use lookalike audiences: Upload your customer list to find similar people.
🧪 Step 9:
Test and Refine
Targeting isn’t “set and forget.” Always test:
- Different audiences
- Different messages
- New ad creatives
- New keywords
- Varying platforms
🔁 Track what works and double down. Stop what doesn’t.
🧠 BONUS: Tools to Help You Target Better
| Tool | Purpose |
| Facebook Ads Manager | Ad targeting by interests, behavior, location |
| Google Keyword Planner | Discover search terms your audience uses |
| SEMrush / Ahrefs | Competitor research, keyword data |
| SparkToro | Audience research & insight |
| HubSpot Buyer Persona Generator | Helps build a customer profile |
📌 Final Thoughts
To successfully target the right audience in online business:
- Know your product deeply
- Define who your ideal customer is
- Use tools and platforms where your audience lives
- Craft messages that match their needs and mindset
- Test constantly and refine your approach
