The latter is just as important. Knowing that your target audience is on Instagram doesn’t tell you what kind of content works there. And knowing that millennials spend a lot of time on Facebook doesn’t automatically mean that every message belongs there. A good understanding of your target audience therefore helps not only with channel selection, but also with decisions regarding tone of voice, content format, topic, and timing. Perhaps the same target audience seeks in-depth information on LinkedIn , inspiration on Instagram , and practical information on Facebook . So the question isn’t just: Where is my target audience? But above all: What do people expect from the channel you’re using to reach them?

More data doesn't necessarily mean more channels or more content—in fact, it's quite the opposite. The better you understand who you want to reach, the better you can determine where you should—and shouldn't—be present, which target audiences you need to approach separately, and where a single generic message simply isn't relevant enough.

In our recent campaign for GGD Twente, we also used this type of target audience insight to more effectively justify our choices regarding channels and content. After all, a wide reach isn’t much use if your message doesn’t resonate with the people you’re trying to reach. The better you understand your audience, the more precisely you can tailor what you say, where you say it, and how you say it.