Well, if you are thinking about that, I congratulate you because knowing your audience and target markets is actually one of the first steps in any business. And in this blog post, you’ll find some actionable tips on how to do just that. Let’s get started, shall we?

* Note: This was updated on August 26, 2023, from an original post on November 11, 2019.

Decide On Your Ideal Customer

One problem about starting a business with no audience and target market is that you end up selling to everyone, which means you’re selling to no one. You might even encounter people who will call your products “too expensive”—one Bailiwicker told me she experienced this before.

Well, one great thing about starting your business is that you have the power to choose WHO you want to sell to! Yup, that’s right: you’ll define your target market. 

Whether you’re aiming for gourmet enthusiasts who value decadence and avant-garde food or busy parents seeking quick yet delicious treats, the choice is yours.

Create A Customer Persona

To help you identify your target market better, make it more real by creating a customer persona. Give them a name and what they look like. Aside from those, here’s what you should include:

Demographic Information:

• Age: What age range does your ideal customer fall into?
• Gender: Male, female, other?
• Relationship Status: Single, in a relationship, married, or other?
• Education Level: College graduate, high school, never went to school?
• Socioeconomic Class: Class A, B, C? Include the incom level.
• Location: Where do they live? Urban, suburban, rural?
• Occupation: What are their job titles? What do they do for a living? 

Preferences:

• Hobbies & Interests: What are their favorite pastimes?
• Shopping Habits: Do they prefer online shopping or in-store visits?
• Brand Loyalties: Are they loyal to particular brands or products?

Pain Points:

• What problems can your product solve for them?
• What makes them choose one product over another?
• What would make them buy your product?
• What would make them prefer you over competitors?

Here’s an example:

Joanna is a 35-year-old working mom with a managerial job level, earning Php100K monthly. She resides in Acacia Estates and has two kids. She likes cakes and pastries, online shopping, and values quality over price. Joanna prefers expensive sweets over mainstream brands because of this.

Now, just get a picture of what you think Joanna looks like, and you’re set. Doesn’t she feel more real, like someone who will inquire and buy your product? If not, add more, and be as specific as possible to really flesh out your customer persona. 

Doesn’t this mean I will be excluding other potential customers?

Coming up with a buyer persona doesn’t mean you will exclude other types of people from buying from you. They’re still very much welcome to buy your products. 

For example, you may target an audience in classes B and C, but people from class A may still want to buy what you’re selling. Just think of doing this activity for focus and direction. 

By identifying your core audience, you ensure that your marketing (such as content creation) and production efforts aren’t scattered but laser-focused. You’ll just choose to cater to a particular group, but you’re still open to opportunities from people who don’t belong to your target audience.

The Next Step: Deciding On The Product To Produce For Your Target Market

I know that signing up at The Bailiwick Academy gives you the power to create so many courses. However, it can also get confusing with so many courses to choose from. That’s why we should listen to the wisdom of Chef Joey Prats: focus on one product.

And how do you focus on that one product? You go back to your ideal target audience and find out what food resonates with them. That’s why you really dive deep.

For example, your target customer is someone who enjoys having people over throwing parties with cake. So you might want to produce only cakes from Special Celebration Cakes. On the other hand, if you live abroad and your target market is fellow Pinoys who miss the comfort of the Philippines, you might want to start selling kakanin.

See how knowing who you want to sell to is powerful?

And of course, aside from the product you’re producing, you should match their preferences in taste and packaging. If your chosen market segment likes luxury, use premium ingredients and high-end materials for packaging. If you choose to sell to a market that values affordability, you can use alternatives to premium ingredients or churn out smaller versions of your products.

Reaching Your Target Market

When you have finally decided on a target market and a product, there’s one last thing you need to do. That’s to get them to come to your physical or online store and buy. You’ll have to show up where they are so that they are aware of your presence.

Don’t worry—gone are the days where your only way of advertising and marketing is doing television or radio ads. You can now reach people organically via social media platforms—Facebook is still probably the most popular here in the Philippines. With a social media account, you can draw customers to your brand organically without having to pay for any advertisement.

Of course, just ensure you regularly publish content, such as photos, videos, or even text posts. That way, you won’t look like an empty page—they might think you’re a scam otherwise. Make sure the posts you make will appeal to your target market, such as how the products are made, how they’re eaten, and so on.

To ensure you’re presenting your products in the best way possible, it might be good to enroll in Mobile Food Photography. And to make sure your brand stands out from all the others—and appeals to your target audience—enroll in Branding 101.

Don’t forget to also engage with people who are visiting your site. Answer inquiries, make conversations—these moves will help endear your target market to you and make them fans of you, your brand, and your product eventually!

Final Thoughts On Finding Your Target Market

I hope this article helps give you an idea of how to get started on finding your target market. Remember, focus on one at a time to tailor-make your offer and product. Also, once you get started, don’t forget to form relationships with your audience so that they’ll be the ones to refer more people to you, and you never run out of customers!

If you feel like you need more education, make sure to check out the Free Courses in your Student Dashboard and to continually upskill with our many courses at TBA. All of these are for your benefit so you can grow your cooking and baking empire faster!

Finally, remember that there’s no such thing as a wrong target market. You can target the males, females, the rich, the middle-class, and so on. Just make sure you’re selling them a product they’ll actually buy, and you’ll be good to go.

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Keep coming back to The Bailiwick Academy blog for more kitchen tips, tricks, and much more!

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