POST TWO – ASSIGNMENT #2

This week I was able to think more deeply about what I wanted to create for this assignment and delve into what my target audience may be. I already have my big question: How does a business brand themselves on Instagram and target their consumer audience?

But what is my consumer audience?

Well, to answer this question I need to fine-tune what my business on Instagram will be. This was a tricky task as I wanted to be ethical in what I was doing but also didn’t want to hold back. After much pondering, I realised that I had found the perfect idea for me: Creating a “thrift store” on Instagram. As someone who is passionate about fashion and styling, I figured I could sell my used but well loved clothing items on Instagram and also incorporate other fashion content in between. That way, my business will be legitimate and ethical and it could ultimately become a way for me to make some cash after losing my job due to COVID-19.

However, that isn’t my main goal. I am really using this business to try and see how much engagement I can get on my page and if I can grow some sort of following and activity on my posts. If this essentially fails, it isn’t much of a loss to me. At the end of the day this is an experiment. Next, I went to the Sensis data to find key information to formulate my target consumers.

I already knew my consumers would be predominantly female as I will be selling female clothing items. These consumers will also be 18-29 years old as these people use Instagram the most (74.8%). Here are some key statistics that will be relevant to my business:

• 33.4% of 18-29 year olds use social media 10-20 times a day.
• 67.5% first thing in the morning (MAJORITY) while 56.9% in the evening. (I will use this information to guide when I post.
• 71.4% use Instagram to search for clothing and fashion.
• 41.8% were trying to find clothing or fashion items last time they were wanting to purchase something. 56% confirmed this research led to a purchase.
• Majority of this age group use Instagram 20-49 times a week, with 50-100 times a close second. On average, 11-15 minutes is spent on the app per use.
• 86.7% of users use social media at home the most (social media use at home would now have spiked due to the pandemic. More time at home = more time online).
• 57.4% follow a business or brand on Instagram with 59.8% being CLOTHING OR FASHION BRANDS.

All of this information comes together to conclude that my target consumer is:

A woman, 18-29 years old who is interested in fashion but is a low-income earner (looks for deals and discounts).