How To Research Your Target Audience And Identify Your LMS Niche
The Internet is already saturated with eLearning companies promoting their LMS products and services. Is there really any use in trying your hand at online marketing? The short answer is yes, but you need to know who you’re marketing to and how your Learning Management System fulfills their needs. Here are 8 tips to research your target audience and identify your LMS niche so that you can customize your online promotional strategy.
1. Determine Which Pain Points Your LMS Addresses
Every LMS has something that sets it apart from the competition. You must determine what makes your Learning Management System stand out and how those selling points bridge a gap in the LMS market. Is there a specific function that addresses clients’ pain points and helps them achieve their objectives? Sit down with your eLearning team to review your key features and then match them with common eLearning challenges. For example, your social learning integration feature that allows them to track collaborative eLearning activities and build a thriving online learning community can become a great differentiator.
2. Develop Customer Personas
You may have a general idea of your target audience when you write eLearning articles or social media posts, but you should have specifics in mind. This is where customer personas come into play. They offer a detailed summary of your target groups, including their demographics, concerns, and objectives, as well as the audience they usually cater to. Knowing your exact customer will help you and your team focus not only on a much more specific marketing strategy but also urge you to shape your product accordingly. Try to become as specific as possible and don't be shy to create more than one personas.
3. Conduct Οnline Surveys And Polls
Send online questionnaires to everyone on your mailing list or post a poll on social media. Delve into the demographics and backgrounds of your LMS target audience. You can also learn more about their buying history and personal preferences, then adjust your LMS marketing approach or sales pitch based on those data. For instance, you might discover that most people use Facebook to read up on eLearning news, so you may want to focus on this platform and minimize Twitter posts. Another benefit of conducting online surveys is that you learn what consumers are looking for in an LMS. Then you can identify your LMS niche and concentrate on those features and functions in your marketing campaign. Social learning might be a good trend but if your buyer persona or current customers don't have any need for it, you're just wasting your resources, and the opportunity cost of not building something meaningful for your users is huge.
4. Scope Out The Competition
You probably already have a list of direct competitors who are vying for the same clientele. Take a closer look at what they’re doing to promote their LMS product in order to understand their target audience, and then use that information to create your own marketing strategy and campaigns in order to capitalize on your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses. Scoping out the competition also allows you to identify LMS product specs or features that may need some fine-tuning.
5. Evaluate Your Existing Big Data
Online surveys and polls help you collect new data, but you shouldn’t forget about the existing Big Data you already have on hand. Site statistics, focus group findings, customer data and any other key pieces of information can help you delve deeper into your LMS target audience, as well as identify other groups who may be interested in your LMS offerings. Another advantage is being able to clarify your LMS niche and whittle it down even further. For instance, site stats from the past 6 months reveal that SMBs are your primary visitors. They also spend more time on a certain LMS product page, which indicates that they are genuinely interested and may be looking for more of the same. No matter if you're in sales or even the CEO of your company, you should really have access and spend quite some time on analytics. You will benefit tremendously!
6. Gather Feedback From Current Clients
One of the most direct ways to research your target audience and identify your LMS niche is to simply ask for their input. Your current client base is already on board, they have used your LMS, and can offer insight regarding what they like and what they might change. Send personalized emails or create a closed social media group exclusively for clients. Post a brief question every day and encourage them to leave comments. You can even host special contests or giveaways if they are reluctant to participate in the online discussion. This feedback offers a more comprehensive overview of your LMS target audience’s needs and wants, and will help you determine your LMS niche. In response, you can reevaluate your current LMS product's offering and LMS marketing approach to align with their expectations.
7. Consider Future LMS Products And Services
It’s not only your current LMS functionality you must consider, but also the new LMS software and add-ons still in Research & Development. Staying one step ahead helps you identify new niches that your upcoming LMS products can tap into, as well as research emerging target audiences that may be interested in your latest LMS software. For instance, the SaaS LMS you’ll release next year will attract more technology-oriented start-ups who are looking for an affordable software. You can start researching this LMS target audience now so that you’re fully prepared when it’s time to launch, instead of having to build customer personas right before you roll out the LMS product. A side benefit of this is being able to continually improve your upcoming LMS software before you announce it to the public. Moreover, you can upsell/cross-sell your new product to your current client base or create a referral system for your clients, which will help you grow your lead generation.
8. Maintain An Active Social Media Presence
Social media interactions offer a window into the minds of your LMS target audience, which is why you should maintain an active presence and post consistency. Seize the opportunity to engage with followers and solicit their feedback as often as possible. This will help you develop a more accurate picture of your LMS target audience and evolve with your LMS niche, as you can continually update your customer personas and their pain points based on social media interactions.
These 8 tips can help you identify your LMS target audience’s needs and expectations, as well as determine your LMS niche. You can custom-tailor your marketing efforts with this information in hand, rather than wasting valuable resources on generic promotional strategies that miss the mark.
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