Defining your target audience is a critical step in building a successful business. It's especially important when it comes to ESL teaching and accent training. Before you start attracting new students, you need to start building an audience of people who see you as their go-to English language expert. But how do you define your target audience?
The first step is to get as specific as possible. Narrow down your audience and focus on speakers of a specific native language, a specific occupation, a specific age group, or people with specific goals, hobbies or interests. It might seem counterintuitive to narrow your potential market this much, but it's essential if you want to stand out and attract more students to your teaching style.
When you're trying to serve and attract everyone, you're not really speaking directly to or making a connection with anyone. You'll be lost in the crowd, and no one will schedule because they won't be sure how you can help them. They won't know what's in it for them, and they won't even know if it's possible for you to help them.
Having a specific target audience will help you avoid this problem. It will help you attract more students who are excited, ready, and willing to pay for your services. But it will also help you stand out from the crowd and make a connection with potential students.
To illustrate this point, let me share my own experience. When I started my own private ESL service in 2015, my target audience was non-native speakers of English who were aiming to complete their IELTS exam and apply to a UK university. That's pretty specific, but it worked. By focusing on students who were still learning and still developing their academic careers, I had a lot of information to work with. I knew where to find them, how to describe how I could help them, and what their specific speaking challenges were. I was very successful with this population, and my business took off.
So, if you're just starting, I recommend that you get specific about your audience. The more specific, the better. But remember, this doesn't mean that you can't branch out later and work with a different type of student. Other people will contact you, I promise. But this is an important step to setting yourself up for consistent enrollments.
Having a specific target audience also increases referrals. If you do a good job with a speaker who lives in one of these communities, they'll tell their family and friends who also speak their native language about you and your services. They will become a walking, talking billboard for you and your services.
In conclusion, defining your target audience is a critical step in building a successful business. It will help you stand out from the crowd, make a connection with potential students, and increase referrals. So, get specific, and start building your list of potential students today!
コメント