3.1: Understanding your target public
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)(The following Chapter remixes this OER chapter from Foundations of Public Relations: Canadian Edition by the Canadian Department of Communication Studies. This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License)
Research is a crucial component of the public relations process. There are several key reasons why research is so important. First, research allows us to develop a PR strategy. This information will allow us to design specific campaigns with particular targets and goals, to ensure we aren’t wasting time, money, and energy. This helps public relations operate as a strategic function of the organization, contributing to overall organizational goals and objectives.
FIGURE 4.1 Purpose of research
Another reason why research is so important in public relations is that it can be used to measure the effectiveness of our public relations efforts. For example, we can measure how often our key public is purchasing our product before our campaign, during our campaign, and after our campaign. This way, we can understand if our campaign has an impact on purchasing habits. Was the campaign worthwhile? Was it effective? Research helps us answer these questions and justify the value of public relations within organizations by directing funds to effective strategies.
If we do research before we begin communicating, we can ensure we are capturing the views of our publics. We can identify key publics, develop targeted communications based on what is important to our publics, and build relationships with those publics who may be interested in our messaging. This contributes to two-way communication, instead of outdated methods of disseminating information one way to our publics. Research is what allows us to understand our publics, their needs, and their values, and ensures that we are as effective and strategic as possible in the public relations process.
If we didn’t do research, PR would not be a key strategic function of organizations. Instead, we would be making decisions based on hunches and instinct, and generating publicity without any clear sense of who our publics are and what matters to them. As a central, strategic function of organizations, public relations relies on research to identify issues, problem solve, prevent and manage crises, develop and maintain relationships with publics, and deploy useful strategies and campaigns to support organizational goals and objectives.
Being able to understand, conduct, and report on research also allows public relations professionals to demonstrate the value and worth of PR activities and helps ensure PR is part of the organization’s dominant coalition. In short, research matters!
Defining target publics for a PR campaign
Before you can begin research for a campaign, you have to define who will be the target public for your campaign. When defining a target audience for a social media campaign, you can consider the following factors:
Demographics: Age, gender, location, education, income, and other relevant characteristics
Interests and hobbies: What your target audience likes and what aligns with your brand or content niche
Psychographics: Values, attitudes, lifestyles, motivations, and behaviors
Online behavior: How your target audience uses social media, which platforms they prefer, and how engaged they are
Information needs: What kind of information your target audience is looking for and why
Lifestyle: Income, spending habits, travel, likes, and dislikes
Location factors: Specific locations like school zones, college campuses, or neighborhoods
How do you determine where your target public falls within all of these factors? First look internally at organizational data that may already exist about key publics that you’ve interacted with before. Perhaps if you are running a campaign for a political candidate, you have access to voter rolls where you can see data related to all the relevant location factors. If your target publics have signed up for more information about your organization or business (either online or at an event), you will likely have their email and could gather information via online surveys.
Social media is also a great way to collect information on your target publics. You can use the audience insights tools on your preferred social media platforms to help you identify your target audience. You can also monitor your current audience to see who follows you, what they interact with, and what common characteristics they share.
Audience insight tools on social media provide valuable data about a campaign's target audience, enabling communicators to tailor their strategies effectively. These tools analyze audience demographics, behaviors, and engagement patterns, offering a deeper understanding of who is interacting with your content and why. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X) have built-in insights that allow you to track metrics such as age, gender, location, interests, and online activity of your followers. This information helps you identify which segments of your audience are most engaged with your campaign, and which content resonates best with different groups.
For example, Facebook's Audience Insights tool can help you explore your audience's demographics, behaviors, and interests in detail. By monitoring who is viewing, liking, sharing, or commenting on your posts, you can gain insights into what type of content attracts attention. Additionally, tools like Instagram Insights allow you to see the peak times your audience is online, enabling you to schedule posts for maximum visibility. Understanding these patterns helps ensure that your content reaches the right people at the right time.
Beyond demographics, audience insight tools also track more nuanced behaviors such as purchase intent, social media habits, and even what devices they use to access content. This can inform your decisions on content format and messaging style. For instance, if you discover that a significant portion of your audience interacts primarily through mobile devices, you can optimize your content for mobile viewing.
Ultimately, using these insights enables PR professionals to refine their campaigns, making adjustments that align with the needs and preferences of their target audience. By continuously analyzing audience data, you can improve engagement, tailor content, and enhance the overall effectiveness of your social media strategy.
Research is an essential part of the public relations (PR) process because it helps in developing effective strategies and measuring the impact of campaigns. By understanding the needs and behaviors of target publics, PR professionals can design focused campaigns that align with organizational goals. Research ensures that PR functions strategically, rather than relying on guesswork, and allows for two-way communication with publics, leading to more meaningful relationships.
Additionally, research helps in evaluating the success of PR efforts, justifying their value within an organization, and making informed decisions. Ultimately, research strengthens PR as a critical, strategic organizational function.
- How does audience research shape the development of a PR strategy, and what key factors should be considered when defining target publics for a campaign? Explore how understanding audience demographics, psychographics, and behaviors can lead to more effective and targeted PR strategies.
- How can social media audience insight tools (like Instagram Insights or Facebook's Audience Insights) help PR professionals better understand their audience, and what role do these tools play in refining a campaign? Consider how real-time data and analytics can help tailor content to audience preferences and maximize engagement.
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Why is research into audience behavior and preferences critical in ensuring the success of PR campaigns, particularly in relation to message delivery and platform selection?
Discuss the importance of knowing which platforms your audience engages with most and how it influences content creation and distribution. - In what ways does continuous research during a campaign (such as tracking audience engagement) allow PR professionals to adjust strategies, and how might this contribute to achieving campaign goals? Examine how ongoing analysis of audience response can lead to real-time adjustments in strategy to improve campaign outcomes.
21. Grunig, JE. (Ed). Excellence in public relations and communication management. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1992.