10 tips on target group analysis

A target group analysis helps you see your organisation from your audiences’ perspective and understand what needs to change to reach them effectively. With the right questions and methods, it becomes a practical foundation for prioritising the right audiences and refining your messages.

1. Define your purpose

Be clear about why you want to understand your target groups better and which decisions the analysis should inform. A clear purpose makes it easier to focus on the right questions and turn insights into change.

2. Prioritise your audiences

Think through which audiences you want to reach and prioritise among them. We often have an overly broad and general view of who belongs to a target group.

3. Choose your method

Select your method based on the purpose of the analysis and the decisions that need to be made. Surveys provide breadth, in-depth interviews explain motivations, and focus groups show how messages are actually perceived.

4. Use reliable data

Draw on statistics and relevant data sources to establish the facts about your target groups. Map factors such as media habits, geographic location and key characteristics.

5. Formulate your questions

Develop a set of questions that can be used at different stages of the analysis. Questions should be open and phrased in a way that does not steer respondents in a particular direction.

6. Conduct surveys

Carry out a survey among your target groups to understand their needs and preferences. A web-based survey is a quick and efficient way to reach a large number of respondents at once.

7. Carry out in-depth interviews

Select a few key individuals and conduct in-depth interviews, preferably with the option of anonymity. One-to-one conversations provide space to explore thoughts and reasoning without influence from others.

8. Run focus groups

Test your messages in a focus group to understand how they are perceived. Group discussions reveal both individual perspectives and how opinions evolve when tested against others.

9. Draw conclusions

Summarise the results with a focus on what they mean for your messaging and priorities. A target group analysis only becomes valuable when it leads to clear, actionable recommendations.

10. Evaluate and adjust

Follow up on how your more audience-adapted communication performs in practice. Assess to what extent you have achieved your goals, what has had an effect, and what needs to be adjusted.