The Different Types of Audiences You Must Target for Faster Conversions

In today’s fast-paced business world, one-size-fits-all marketing no longer works, as there are different types of audiences you must target. As a business owner, you don’t just roll out a marketing campaign without knowing what to achieve with that campaign, the different types of audience you want to target, and based on that, what the campaign will entail.

Running a retargeting campaign, for one, is different from running a campaign that focuses on a new audience (brand awareness).  In other words, if you want faster conversions and not just random clicks, you must learn to speak (using the specific language) to different types of audiences based on their interest and readiness.

Some people just discovered you. Others are almost ready to buy. And a few are loyal advocates waiting to evangelise your brand. The smarter you segment your audience, the more your content resonates and the faster your conversion path becomes. Below are five essential audience types that you, as an entrepreneur, should be aware of.

The 5 Different Types of Audiences

1. Cold Audience (Awareness Stage)

This category of audience has never heard of or interacted with your brand before. These people, although they have a need that your brand can help with, don’t know you yet or barely know you.  For this kind of audience, what they need is not a sales pitch, ads, or content; instead, they need content or ads that serve the goal of brand awareness.

They are like newborn babies who don’t know what they need; therefore, your job is to help them identify their needs and begin to nurture them until they discover what they truly need.

Moreover, this kind of audience is curious but cautious, in the sense that, although they have a need, they are always careful not to fall into the wrong hands.

When engaging your cold audience, it is important to stay away from pitching sales. For the fact that these people don’t know you yet, selling to them is a red flag, as they might not trust your brand for what it is. This is not to say that they cannot buy from you the first time; however, it is best to build and establish a relationship with them.

The kind of content to share with your cold audience should be content that provides detailed information and engages them. Examples are beginner’s guides, high-value freebies, and educational social posts

2. Warm Audience (Interest Stage)

In contrast, the people who belong to your warm audience are people who know about your brand. They have interacted with your brand in one way or the other. They’ve also discovered your content, maybe via email or ads, but are still exploring. In other words, they have not bought or patronised you in any way.

Now, unlike your cold audience, who are nurtured via informational or educational content, your content to your warm audience should give them a reason they need to buy from you. The goal of your content should be to give a reason(s) to go from the interest stage to the buying stage.

You can give them content in the form of case studies, free trials, webinars, or comparison guides.

3. Hot Audience (Decision/Buying Stage)

Your hot audience comes in two ways: some are ready to buy but need that final nudge or validation. On the other hand, they also consist of people who have bought from you or patronized you.

They are called the hot audience because they know you, like you, and trust you. They are also good for retargeting where you inform them about now products or services, or get them to go for a premium package.

Your content can come in the form of testimonials, limited-time offers, or product demos.

4. Existing Customers (Retention Stage)

For this category of audience, they’ve bought from you, but they’re not done yet. They have gone through the process of researching, shopping, and experiencing your services. Existing customers have a higher level of trust and familiarity compared to cold and hot audiences.

It is important that you establish and maintain a relationship with them as this helps to optimise revenue and build a sustainable brand.

Methods for cultivating relationships with existing customers include upsell/cross-sell emails and offering special discounts to loyalty members. They are also great for having as community members.

5. Brand Advocates (Ambassador Stage)

Brand advocates are a different type of audience. These are your fans. They are people who love you and want others to know. They are people who choose and love a specific brand, product, or service because they find it valuable. They are loyal to your brand and tend to support it by telling others about it.

More so, they promote your brand through word-of-mouth marketing, positive reviews, referring new customers, creating content that gets your brand seen, etc.

You can nurture them by offering affiliate/referral programmes, social media shoutouts, or guest features.

Conclusion

Understanding the different types of audiences is your secret weapon for smarter growth. Instead of creating generic messages, align your content with where your prospects are in their journey with your brand. Educate, nurture, convert, retain, and empower in that order.

When you speak directly and specifically to each audience segment, you don’t just attract; you convert faster and build loyalty. That’s how experts do it, and that’s how you’ll move from visibility to real influence.