Does your target audience use Facebook?

Identifying your target audience is no longer just listing job titles.

When developing a market focus for a company it has been traditional to identify target markets and target audiences to then identify the media that address them most efficiently. Because in the b-2-b space the typical media has been the trade press this information drawn from their readership audit is usually job titles, or more helpfully job functions. Marketing communications delivered through these media - display advertising and editorial - can therefore reach the people interested in buying or specifying your products. But in the social media there are other key consideration such as age and interest.

Facebook announced in June that there were now 500 million users and some research suggests 50% check their Facebook account each day. So a massive potential audience. However, although popular with younger people (18-29 have 86% usage) there has also been a big growth amongst the 50+ demographic, doubling in the last year to 42% usage. Broadly user groups with time but not so much cash then and more importantly probably a bit thin on people who are  buying or specifying industrial products. The primary motivation seems to be people driven rather than product driven. It prompts the inevitable question of how people oriented is your product and will enough people in your target user group be so intrigued by your product to become fans. Interestingly the industrial sites that seem to be achieving some measure of success in attracting fans are the portals that are aggregating news. But checking on one such industrial site that also operates a Facebook account shows just 2.1% of monthly site visitors are fans. Of course there are other news delivery options including Twitter which is good for headlines as is RSS and of course e-mail.

In an age of media fragmentation social media needs to be in the marketing mix, but how much resource should be allocated to maintaining a Facebook presence that needs frequent attention? Indeed is there a sufficient flow of quality content to avoid descending into the realm of trivia? Using social media as additional news distribution channels can be managed within a PR programme but developing customer engagement and interaction is more time consuming and an on-going commitment too.