Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. They conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. They do not take policy positions.
Look at the tabs across the website banner and click on Topics. There you might select Generation X, Generation Y, Millennials, Baby Boomers, Social Media, Digital Media or other related topics. You may also use their search box and type in key words. In the first row of tabs, you might select Hispanics or Social Trends to learn more about your target audiences.
This template may be used as a tool to analyze your potential Target Audience by creating a Target Audience/Customer Persona. Here is an article describing how to use the template:
Your assignment says:
Clearly define and justify at least one recommended target audience for the client. Include evidence of research to back your recommendations. For example, it isn't enough to say “XYZ should target men and women ages 21-35.” Show research to prove that is the right audience to target. What else do you know about those 21-35 year olds? Education level? Income? Married or single? Where do they live? The more detail you can offer, the better you can match up the organization, the audience, and your social media outreach.
If your client already has a clearly defined audience, help them evaluate their decision. Have they made the right pick? How do you know? Prove it with some attributed research.
Who will be the audience for your social media campaigns/messages? Below are some possible suggestions, however your group will have to identify in conjunction with your client, who they desire to reach with their social media campaigns. Then use the information below the target audience suggestions to conduct research on those potential audiences.
When writing your goals for your client's social media plan, consider using S.M.A.R.T. goals.
How to write SMART goals (Atlassian, Sept. 2021)
Consider all those who would be involved in volunteering to spend time with elderly:
Consider all who might be interested in environmental solutions, and/or planning for their own or family member's burials. Check out the Green Burial Council website.
Consider the large veteran population and the span of ages representing all the major conflicts the United States has engaged in, along with their families who seek care and residential assistance for their loved ones.
Consider all the various ages of women in the Framingham area, as well as all politically active adults concerned with voting and voting rights.
To find out more information about the types of people that would be candidates for involvement (donating, volunteering, joining, etc.) in your client's organization, you may begin by using some of these library databases listed below. For an overview check out the FAQ: How do I find target market information for my product?
Statista is an easy-to-use database to search for statistics, quantitative data, and related information. For this part of the project researching your target audience:
67 distinctive segments of the US population based on socioeconomic and demographic composition, further classified into LIfeMode and Urbanization groups.
Example: Next Wave (Life Mode); Las Casas (Segment)
Cultural differences depict Las Casas, a family-oriented market distinguished by multigenerational households. Their spending reflects their children—baby food and furniture or children’s apparel—and convenience—fast food and family restaurants. Consumer choices also focus on personal style, as well as the latest trends and fashions. Although young and predominantly renters, this market is stable, affected more by immigration from abroad than local moves.
The Claritas 360 database is part of the SRDS database and has a steeper learning curve. The following FAQs are a good place to start:
Most of your COM310 clients will be trying to market to people to volunteer for their organization, so here is a sample search to learn about a potential audience who might volunteer and cross-tabulate it with their use of various social media platforms:
Instead of "volunteer" as your search, you may choose to search for other behaviors such as "contributed" or others relative to your client.
Use the second FAQ above to refine your search to a specific county in New Hampshire for clients within the state.