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Target group analysis and policy

Many cultural entrepreneurs and artists have the urge to get their work out and touch an audience. To do that effectively, it is important to determine in advance which people you are targeting and how you want to reach them. This article offers insight into how to identify your core and growth audience, create personas, optimize the customer journey and build a community, which forms the basis for an effective marketing strategy.

Many cultural entrepreneurs and artists have the urge to get their work out and touch an audience. To do that effectively, it is important to determine in advance which people you are targeting and how you want to reach them. This article offers insight into how to identify your core and growth audience, create personas, optimize the customer journey and build a community, which forms the basis for an effective marketing strategy.

Who are you doing it for?

Every cultural creator or institution has a unique audience. Understanding your audience and who you work for is crucial. Your target audience is a specific group of people or organizations with common characteristics that you want to reach. Your target audience does not stand alone; it is part of your overall positioning in the marketplace.

Positioning

In the dynamic world of arts and culture, effective positioning is essential for reaching your audience. Cultural creators and institutions can do this by finding a unique positioning that resonates with their target audience. This article dives into the essence of positioning and offers practical insights for cultural professionals.

Core target group

Your core target group consists of loyal fans who follow you regularly. Determine this group by looking at common characteristics such as place of residence, age and interests. Use visitor data and social media analytics to learn more about their behavior and preferences. Do you have a newsletter? Then you already have a valuable database to segment. A good CRM system provides insight into your contacts, whether they are customers, visitors or business associates. Audience surveys can also help, if short and powerful. The better you know your target audience, the easier it is to reach them with the right message on the right channel.

Tip: also look at examples such as Rotterdam Festivals that do extensive research on different cultural audiences and use their ever-evolving Cultural Audience Model for inspiration.

Growth Target

In addition to your loyal fans, it is important to know your growth potential. These are the people you haven't reached yet, but who may be interested in your offerings. Attracting new audiences is a recurring challenge in the cultural sector. The Culture Marketing Research 2022 shows that a large group of potential visitors is still not being reached. Specific hard-to-reach target groups are young people (12-25 years old), people from multi-ethnic backgrounds, residents of certain city districts, families with children, international visitors and the elderly.

To identify your target audiences, use market research and trend analysis within the region. Collaborations with schools, universities and other cultural organizations can help you tap into new audiences. Segmentation based on demographic, geographic, socioeconomic and psychological characteristics makes your communication plan clearer and facilitates recruiting sponsors or grants.

Tip: collaborate with other organizations or sectors to reach new audiences. For example, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam worked with partners in healthcare to reach people with dementia.

Creating Personas

Personas help you get a concrete picture of your target audience. A persona is a detailed description of a fictional person who represents your target audience. For Concertgebouw De Vereeniging in Nijmegen, for example, a persona could be: 'Jan, 50 years old, classical music lover, regular concertgoer and newsletter subscriber.' Personas help to personalize your communications and marketing and target specific needs and desires within your target audience.

Tip: also think about so-called " negative" personas. These are not customers who think negatively about your product, but rather personas that you would rather not have as customers or that you had better not put any energy into.

Optimize customer journey

The customer journey describes the steps a visitor goes through, from first contact with you to becoming a loyal fan. By mapping this journey, you can identify bottlenecks and ensure a smooth, enjoyable experience that increases the likelihood that visitors will return and tell others about you. For the Nijmegen Four Day Festivities, for example, the customer journey begins with seeing a social media post about an artist. This leads to visiting the website for the program, attending the concert, spending on food and drinks, sharing photos and videos on social media, and eventually perhaps even purchasing Vierdaagsefeesten merchandise.

Marketing mix and resources

A good marketing mix is essential for cultural institutions and creative creators who want to market their products and services effectively. In this article you will find tools for developing a winning marketing mix.

Community building

A strong community can have a huge impact on the success of your cultural activities. Examples such as Popcentrum Jacobiberg in Arnhem or De Basis in Nijmegen show how important it is to create a sense of community with musicians, fans and volunteers actively involved in events. This requires authentic communication, active social media interaction and events that strengthen the connection. It is also important to make this community feel that they are part of your organization and that without them your activities would not be possible.

Developing marketing strategy

With a clear picture of your target audiences, personas, customer journey and community, you can develop a targeted marketing strategy. This strategy should appeal to both your core target group and your growth target group, using various channels and tools to reach and engage both groups. This promotes sustainable growth and strengthens engagement around your cultural activities.

Segmentation and optimization

To effectively manage your customer database, it is important to segment and label it based on characteristics such as interests, behaviors and demographics. This can be done easily in tools like Mailchimp, where you can create lists and personalize campaigns, or in more advanced CRM systems like HubSpot and Monday.com, which offer deeper insights into your contacts. By structuring your database in this way, you can drive targeted communications and optimize the customer experience.

Data-driven marketing and privacy laws

As a marketer, you collect data to better understand your audience and optimize your strategy. Data-driven marketing helps you work more effectively, but privacy laws such as the AVG set clear limits. In this article, you'll learn how to handle data smartly without breaking the rules.

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