Top 7 Strategies to Determine the Target Audience for an Event

When it comes to event marketing, you hear the word “target audience” over and over again. But who are these people? How do you reach them, and how do you make sure the right people attend your event?

First thing first, what is an event’s target audience?

An event’s target audience includes individuals most likely to attend and be interested in your event. You need these people to reach out, engage with and convert into qualified leads.

Knowing your target audience gives strengthen and powers your event marketing strategy. Also, the success of your event depends upon the target audience. And it helps you develop your marketing efforts for a specific group. Therefore, you must know how to identify the target audience for the event.

Here are the key steps to identify the target audience for the event:

1. Conducting Marketing Research
2. Analyzing Past Events and Competitors
3. Creating Audience Personas
4. Utilizing Social Media and Online Tools
5. Engaging with Industry Influencers
6. Refining and Testing Your Message
7. Utilizing Targeted Marketing Channels

7 Effective Strategies to Find Target Audience for Your Next Event

Knowing how to discover the target audience for the event will save you time and resources. The right target audience empowers the best event promotion strategies to deliver the message effectively.

This is all good, but first, you must learn how to discover the target audience for your event.

Let’s dive into 7 effective strategies you can consider.

1. Conducting Market Research

Starting from the basics, market research is the core of finding target markets for event planners. Market research is one of the first aspects you must include in your guide to event marketing. 

Understand the marketplace, identify people interested in your event, and see whether there’s room to explore.

You can even gather statistics and conduct surveys to understand your potential attendees. It would require extra work, but target audience identification for events is significant to succeed.

Exploring the demographics of your target audience

• Age, gender, location, occupation, income level

For example, you might collect demographic data such as age, gender, income level, occupation, and education level when identifying your target audience.

• Hobbies, values, lifestyle choices, preferences

Also, some events require marketers to identify hobbies, values, lifestyle choices, and preferences when narrowing down the target audience. 

Utilizing online surveys, focus groups, and interviews

Once you identify your audience through demographics and psychographic segmentation, you must utilize online surveys, focus groups, and interviews. 

After all, you must not entirely base your identification on one parameter; rather, study the target audience as subject matter.

2. Analyzing Past Events and Competitors

Broadly, a snapshot of past events and competitors provides excellent insight into the target audience. A great way to do this is to analyze data to make the first move and find which target audience your competitors offer.

Evaluating the success of previous events

By analyzing the outcomes of previous events, you can gain a clear insight into the data that can help you define your target audience for future events.

Follow these tips for better research:

• Collect attendee data
• Analyze event content marketing strategy
• Study target segments
• Use social media analytics
• Validate and expand your research

Studying competitors’ events

We recommend studying competitors’ events and digging into their past events and data. It will help you draw basic patterns about the potential attendees who they are targeting.

Here are simple steps to follow:

• Identify key competitors
• Gather information
• Analyze their target audience
• Review competitor events
• Track their marketing campaigns
• Analyze financial reports

Identifying gaps and opportunities for differentiation

By identifying gaps from past events and competitors’ research, you can successfully define your target audience, capture their attention, and establish a strong competitive advantage.

Here are some tips to help you in this process:

• Gather comprehensive information from your research
• Evaluate your previous strategies
• Identify unmet potential attendee persona
• Seek inspiration from similar events in your industry

3. Creating Audience Personas

Reaching your target audience without resorting to potential attendee personas can be difficult. It helps you understand their motivations and predict their behavior to increase event ticket sales.

This makes your target audience strategy more efficient and effective. See-through your potential attendee’s eyes, tap into their emotions, and understand their personas.

Developing detailed profiles of your target audience segments

Unlike your imaginary friend, event target audiences don’t just exist; you need to curate the list and define segments. Also, your audience persona shouldn’t just be someone you want to hang out with but should be based on actual data that best fits your event.

Follow these steps to create your target audience profile:

• Research demographics
• Assess psychographics
• Identify pain points
• Analyze gains
• Identify behavioral trends
• Bring your persona to life

Tailoring your event to meet their expectations and interests

Personalization is essential for event success.

As an event marketer, you must know the expectations and interests of your target audience from your event. Tailoring your event for your target audience drives engagement, foster relationships, and ensures the success of your events.

4. Utilizing Social Media and Online Tools

You can locate and discover target audiences using social media event marketing data. Because the audience you want to reach is out there using social media platforms.

Brainstorm, and get as specific as possible by identifying age, gender, education, work, income levels, where they live, interests, and aspirations. 

For example, the Facebook audience insights tool provides data about profiles who interact and engage with your event or business page.

Also, you can use online tools and websites to find your target audience. Online tools narrow down your audience and get the most out of your marketing budget.

The key is utilizing social media insights to create a well-rounded event marketing strategy and gain a comprehensive understanding of your audience.

5. Engaging with Industry Influencers

Industry influencers can make your event stand out and connect with the right target audience. Partnering with influential individuals from your industry or niche drive engagement increases reach, and adds credibility.

Here are some benefits of industry influencers:

• Increase brand awareness
• Increase credibility 
• Cost-effective marketing
• Targeted marketing

Identifying influential figures in your industry or niche

Of course, one of the easiest ways to approach influential figures is through contacts and networks. But technology and social networking sites have made things easier.

Follows these tactics to identify the right influencers for your event:

• Define the influencer’s personality trait
• Set your event goals
• Pay attention to the influencer’s goal
• Align both goals and consider the collaboration
• Agree on a contract to work together

Leveraging their networks to reach your target audience

Influencers are valuable assets for event branding and can create authentic content and increase brand awareness. Also, you can leverage influencers to drive event ticket registration sales.

6. Refining and Testing Your Messaging

Your message strategy delivers a value proposition.

Once you’ve crafted a compelling and consistent message that resonates with your potential attendees, you must refine and test it to ensure it effectively aligns with your goals.

Follow these tips:

• Testing different messages with sample audiences
• Analyzing responses and refining the messaging accordingly
• Refine your message according to the event’s purpose
• Ensure your message address pain points and objectives

7. Utilizing Targeted Marketing Channels

Discovering the target audience for the event and selecting the most effective marketing channels will help you achieve your event goals.

Amplify your reach and increase revenue by utilizing the right channels to align all marketing activities strategically. You must promote your event on the marketing channel where you can find your target audience.

Most popular marketing channels to consider:

• Social media
• Website/landing pages
• Email marketing
• Video Marketing
• Partnership & influencer marketing
• SEO
• Podcast marketing

Final Words

Determining your target audience will put the right message out at the right time and in front of the right people. Using appropriate strategies that suit your event type and format increases the likelihood of event success.

Following these strategies will be the perfect start for event planning and developing a message for the target audience you want to reach.

Now that you know how to identify the target audience for the event, you know where to swim in.

If you’re looking for professional assistance in executing these strategies, consider partnering with an event marketing firm. Go ahead and dive in with the support of experts in the field.