How to Identify Your Target Audience as a Creative Brand
Step-by-Step Strategies to Engage the Right People
You know there’s value in what you make as a creative.
Your artwork brings a sense of calm into a space where busy lives crave rest.
Your guided journals foster intrapersonal reflection.
Your illustrations spark joy and imagination.
Your book inspires hope.
So how can you get others to see this value, as well? How can you cut through the noise of all the promotions and ads vying for their attention, without simply shouting louder?
The key to effective marketing is knowing your target audience – the consumers most likely to engage with what you’re offering and purchase your product.
People need to feel a personal and meaningful connection with your creative brand – a reason to interact with you and what you’re offering. In fact, a study revealed that 86% of adults would be more inclined to purchase products and services from brands they love – brands capable of creating an emotional connection.
But how can you connect with someone, if you don’t take the time to know them? This reigns true with any relationship, yes? As a creative business owner, your relationship with your audience is crucial to your brand’s success. The better you understand your ideal customer, the more effectively you can shape your marketing and messaging to reach them and establish a meaningful connection.
Here’s how to build trust and loyalty: know who you’re talking to.
How do you identify your target audience?
Let’s go over a few steps to help you understand who you’re selling to, making it easier to tailor your messaging, maximize your resources, and better shape your marketing strategy.
Define Your Mission Statement
Before identifying your target audience, it’s important to understand who YOU are. What makes your creative business unique? After all, the last thing you want to do is change who you are at the core, simply for the sake of appealing to the masses. The best thing you can do for your brand is stay true to who you are and what you’re all about.
Developing a full understanding of your mission and values provides the ideal foundation for you to connect with the right people – your target audience.
The people most likely to engage with your products and services are those who most resonate with the message carried out in your work.
What is your passion behind your work as a creative?
What stories move you to create?
What emotions and experiences motivate you?
What do you hope comes across in your message?
What problem does your work help solve? What needs do you meet?
Often, the target market for creatives ends up being people who are actually quite similar to themselves – people with similar passions, hopes, and motivations; people are likelier to engage with products that resonate with their interests and values.
Example: If your mission, as an artist, is to inspire resilience and hope through your artwork, your artwork may convey themes such as finding light in dark times and overcoming challenges with strength and persistence.
Someone going through a difficult time may be deeply moved by the art that you create. Your painting that embodies hope becomes a source of comfort and motivation for them – a daily reminder that they can overcome their struggles and step toward the horizon.
Understanding your mission as a creative brand will help you identify the people who connect with what you’re all about.
2. Analyze Your Current Customers
Now that you’ve established your brand’s mission and focus, it’s time to understand your existing customers better. You’ll want to be able to answer: who are they and what are their motivations for buying your work?
I’m sure you can imagine how answering this question would help you better understand the target audience for your creative business. Understanding the types of people who have already connected with your brand will help you create a stronger marketing strategy to grow your reach.
Do you notice any patterns in age, gender, occupation, or location? For example, is there a particular age group that tends to engage with your social media content and purchase your work?
What do your customers like to do? What are they passionate about? For example, do you notice patterns in spiritual beliefs and practices? Do your customers share a common interest in cozy home decor?
What trends or cultural movements do your customers care about? For example, are they passionate about sustainability or self-care?
What are customers saying in their testimonials and reviews? Can you identify any recurring words, phrases, or themes? For example, if people often mention that your work brings them joy and inspires them to be positive, that’s a huge clue into what they value.
Some creative entrepreneurs find it helpful to create a client avatar in their mind. Imagine this person coming up to you, expressing interest in something you offer. What would this conversation look like? Use this image and scenario to help you answer the questions above to better understand your ideal customers.
Example: If your customers tend to be middle-aged women passionate about intrapersonal growth and deep reflection, your target audience may lean towards people who value thoughtful journaling as a way to rejuvenate their minds and get inspired.
Understanding your existing customers provides insight into identifying your target audience.
3. Identify the Unique Impact of Your Products
You know what you do and what you make has value. Identifying this value and your products’ impact can provide insights into the people who make up your target audience. After all, people purchase products that meet a need or solve a problem.
Customers may have practical needs, such as buying a shovel to make a path to the front door during the snowy, winter months. Other times, purchases may meet emotional or spiritual needs, such as purchasing a guided journal to use as a tool for support during a challenging period. Even impulse buys are fulfilling a desire and meeting a need.
By understanding the appeal of your creative products or designs, you can better understand the types of people who may be drawn to your work and motivated to make a purchase.
What do customers gain by buying your product? What are the benefits they receive?
Why might people seek you out over similar brands?
What challenges or pain points do your customers have that your brand helps alleviate (e.g., stress relief, creative inspiration, spiritual growth)?
What emotions or experiences does your product or art evoke in your customers (e.g., nostalgia, joy, empowerment)?
How does your product fit into your customers’ daily lives or routines?
Example: If your illustrated greeting cards are whimsical and funny, your audience may include people who value connection and a sense of playfulness. Purchasing your greeting cards means they can continue sending lighthearted cards that spread positivity in the lives of the people they care about.
Understanding the impact of your products helps you identify your target audience’s needs.
4. Research Online Communities and Your Competitors
Taking time to research what’s happening in your niche not only helps you understand where your brand fits in but also provides insights on how you can adapt your approach to reach your ideal audience.
Explore online communities and groups such as Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or forums related to your niche. Search hashtags that are relevant to your creative brand (e.g., #handcrafted, #cozydecor, #guidedjournal, #folkartist, #cottagegore, #mindfulart, #dailydevotional, #greetingcards)
What are people talking about in your niche world? Do you notice any trends, keywords, or phrases commonly used in comments or discussions that align with your work?
Example: As you’re exploring Pinterest, you notice people using phrases like “gift idea” or “great gift” to describe products they like – products that fall in your niche. This bit of information tells you that people in your target audience value items that make good gifts for others. You can use this in your marketing strategy to reach your ideal customers, highlighting how your products make great gifts.
In addition to researching online communities, study competitive brands in your niche.
How do they describe their work? Look at the keywords in their product descriptions, blog posts, and social media content. This will give you an idea of who they are targeting.
Who engages and shows interest in their content and products? Are they attracting the types of customers you want?
Are there any gaps or areas that other creative businesses in your niche may not be addressing?
A little bit of research can go a long way! You may be surprised to learn something new about your target audience after reading their discussions on online platforms. Or maybe a phrase you see will spark an idea you can use in your marketing strategy.
Understanding your niche communities and brand competitors provides insight into how to reach your target audience.
5. Ask Your Audience!
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your followers directly. Engage with them on social media, participate in conversations, ask questions, and create polls to gather direct insights from people who follow you or engage with your content.
What draws them to your work?
What would they like to see more of?
How did they find your brand?
Idea #1: Create a short survey or poll on your social media stories asking current customers and followers what words they associate with your creative brand. Who knows — this could reveal new keywords you may not have even considered!
Idea #2: Connect with your followers by asking open-ended questions like, “What type of art speaks to you the most?” or “What do you look for when picking out a new journal?” Their responses may provide insights you can use in future marketing strategies to reach the right people.
Engaging with your current followers and customers provides insight into identifying and connecting with your target audience.
6. Reach Your Target Audience and Grow!
Now close your eyes and take a deep breath.
Picture your ideal customer in your mind.
This is the person who believes in your brand’s vision.
This is the person who finds value in what you create, what you make, and what you offer.
This is the person who holds your work in their hands and finds what they are looking for.
It’s time to connect with them! Adapt your messaging and marketing to reach these people, because they are out there. After all, you’re not just building a customer base – you’re cultivating a community of people who feel seen and inspired. You’re building relationships and growing trust – showing them you understand their needs, interests, and motivations.
What you have to offer as a creative business is exactly what they are looking for.
Connect with your target audience and watch your business thrive!
If you have questions about identifying and reaching your target audience or general questions about marketing, please reach out! I’d love to hear from you and offer support!
Encouraging you forward,
Bethany Valyou
