The activity of any company on the market is a complex process that depends on many factors. One of them is the contact audience. This concept is very voluminous and contains many subcategories. So what is a contact audience? Firstly, a contact audience is a group of people who are united on the basis of a common interest in a particular company. Secondly, it directly affects the achievement of the goals set by the company, which means the success and profitability of the business.
The importance of the concept
Contact audiences are one of the key topics in marketing courses, as this category is one of the fundamental ones in business. Everything literally depends on her in the literal sense of the word.
Without a clear understanding and definition of contact audiences of the company, it will be impossible to plan its future activities. This is the basic component of both marketing tactics and the development strategy of the company as a whole.
Audiences by nature of influence on the organization
As mentioned above, contact audiences include several different categories of people, therefore, the impact they have on the company can be varied.
By nature, they may be undesirable, sought and favorable. The first type of audience can cause irreparable harm to your company, so this group of people is best avoided. Although the company is likely to still have to consider the opinion of this category. As an example of an undesirable audience, competitors from the same price segment that a firm occupies or plans to occupy can serve.
The desired audience is the one whose attention to the organization is necessary and significant. An example of a contact audience from this category is the media. For example, federal channels, local newspapers or large information portals on the Internet. They can have both a favorable and negative impact on the activities of the company, but they cannot do without attention on their part.
The last and most important category is favorable contact groups. One example of such an audience is sponsors. They are pre-favorably disposed towards the activities of the company and are interested in its successful development and growth.
Types of Contact Groups
In total, this concept is divided into seven types, each of which in its own way affects the activities of the company. Contact audiences are:
- The general public (this concept can cover both residents of one city and the whole country).
- Contact groups within the company or enterprise (for example, workers, maintenance personnel, managers of various levels and even the board of directors).
- Local contact groups (as a rule, it includes residents of the surrounding areas, local non-profit and commercial organizations).
- Public organizations of various types (the activities of the company may cause the close attention of the organization for the protection of consumer rights or the "green movement", which, in turn, may affect the attitude of other contact groups).
- These are contact audiences within state institutions (changes in legislation or non-observance of certain standards can adversely affect the growth prospects and profitability of the company, so you should always monitor the activities and moods of these groups).
- Mass media (newspapers, magazines, television channels, Internet resources, etc.).
- Financial circles (they directly affect the company's ability to receive cash support, subsidies and loans).
Target Orientation
Despite such a large number of different groups, not all of them have the same significance for the activities of the company. The main target contact audiences are consumers. The marketing efforts of the company are directed at them. Although, of course, there may be several such groups, the future profit of the company directly depends on the buyers. Their behavior, mood and loyalty affect all aspects of the organization.
In most cases, the company’s activities take place according to a certain algorithm, which you can familiarize yourself with in more detail if you attend marketing courses. The first link in this algorithm is consumers. Their needs and expectations are key factors in the formation of pricing policies, the range of goods or the variety of services offered. The future of the company depends on their interest.
The concept of the target audience and its types
A distinctive feature of such a group of people is that they do not belong to the company, but influence it from the outside. In the process of any marketing communications, the main task is to try to influence the behavior of the target audience so that the result is as beneficial as possible for the company itself. This can be both an increase in sales and an increase in brand awareness and loyalty.
Targeted contact groups themselves can be represented by different categories of people. And even though there may be more than one such audience for an organization, a specific group of people with similar characteristics is selected for each individual marketing communication. For example, these may be shareholders, on the economic activity of which the annual profit of a company may depend. Also, the sales team can become the target group of a certain marketing communication, the correct motivation of which can affect sales growth, accelerate the acquisition of new customers and the overall performance of the company.
Marketing tools for working with the target audience.
There can be many ways to influence the desired group of people. Their choice depends on the contact target audience itself and on what goals the company sets itself. This can be as a distribution of leaflets, as well as charity balls and all kinds of mass entertainment events, which local media will definitely want to tell about. In this way, you can simultaneously get the attention of the desired contact audience in the face of the media, potential buyers, certain organizations and the general public as a whole.