Indentifying Demographics and Not Looking Like a Douche

[MisterD]

I'm wondering if anyone has any uncommon resources for identifying demographics related to specific niches.

For instance, I have a project running that starting to try and identify alternative traffic sources for. Step 1 is naturally identifying your target demo. Traditionally I've used Alexa.com, which I ran one of my competitors through (government site). To my surprise, their demo info shows female with college degrees (no age information). Turns out I may have been targeting the wrong demo the entire time.

I also found a government site with some demographic information, but this is broken down by age, race, economic status, education level (which actually conflicts with the alexa.com results), but doesn't include sex - which seems like it could be a major component in how you address your audience.

Does anyone have any other sources they use to identify demographics? Quantcast seems to be washed up now, guess it's been a while since I've done this type of research.

 

[MisterD]

Sorry, forgot the 2nd portion of my post:

Once a target demo is identified, what are some ways of leaking traffic without looking like an asshole/self-promoter?

For instance, a target demo is young females with a college degree. One might assume these women congregate on forums related to fashion. If my product/site is related to "beating traffic tickets" (just an example), how do I get in and promote that without sounding like a completely off-topic asshat and getting flagged for being a spammer? That suttle drop is something I've always had difficulty wrapping my head around.

 

[CCarter]

"10 helpful guides on how to prepare you for life after college."

1 - 8.

#9 - Beating a Traffic Ticket.

#10. - something else.

--

But I wouldn't post this on a fashion site, and you are assuming fashion just cause they are women, which has nothing to do with college education. Go to places like finding new jobs, renting new houses, shit people do after college, paying off student loans. I doubt anyone just getting out of college is going to be out shopping for the latest fashion - debt and other new life changing choices take a priority IMO.

If you know they are college graduates maybe there are platforms, reddits, forums, blogs, or facebook groups (linkedin groups might be better) you can join to get in the crowd with them. Your approach is too one-dimensional, since you aren't thinking about hobbies of a 'female college graduate', but simply 'female'. When you are creating a character map of the perfect visitor (market research) you have to imagine all the small details and how they each play into their lives. If your product/website can fall into 3 types of individuals, create/imagine detailed background stories of each, that they are likely to fit in - you can adjust them as you discover more and more going forward.

Example, SERPWoo can be geared toward ORM specialists, or in fact small businesses. Me creating a character map of a small biz owner, I know they probably have heard of reputation problems of local businesses in the past - or directly experienced it, whether it's through friends or other business owners they associate with. They probably associate with them at chamber of commerce meetings, or private exclusive business clubs, or linkedin groups. They probably have wives as well, I can potentially target their wives at some level "How to help your husband's business" article and post it on places wives roam.

With chamber of commerces I can join different ones in the major cities and interact with them at a local level and figure out what troubles them. Once I figure out what troubles them I can write content accordingly with solutions, give it directly to them, post it on a known platform like a subreddit or within a linkedin group to solve their pain while pushing what SERPWoo advantages might have in relieving their pain. SERPWoo might have nothing to do with helping them either, "How to hire a website designer", I can post that around the internet and in help groups to create authority for my persona OR link it back to SERPWoo - "SEO monitoring" in my signature.

The point is you have to figure out the small details of their lives where they have pains and how you can help solve those pains. Traffic leak is about helping solve a problem directly benefiting you OR indirectly by just being the helping voice that got their problem solved.

So first create a character map of each individual, I created one for SEO specialist, ORM specialists, small business owners, medium to large business owners, and marketing directors within those larger companies. Each one has a pain I can help solve and become the guiding light for. But it's not possible without market research and knowing or rather at first imagining the pains they have - once again you can adjust their character map as you go along, but it's important to WRITE EACH ONE DOWN, not just keep it in your head.

Imagine everything you can about these people, and ask them what pains they may have.

I imagine you are a small business owner looking for new ways to generate revenue really, and profits versus traffic. SO I might write content that will get you thinking about new ways of targeting your users better by creating a character map through market research. This helps you at another level gain new knowledge and at some point will read other ideas and content I've written if it connects with you. At some point you'll arrive at SERPWoo and might realize through breadcrumbs I've laid out for you or indirectly that SERPWoo has a global stats section that tells you the top platforms of a given country which you can utilize to see if your target audience might be within each platform by using the platform's search.

Everything is a traffic leak or really marketing at some level, whether you are dropping knowledge directly or indirectly, or you are directly showcasing how your product can solve their pain with examples, videos, or just skype chatting.

I was talking to someone earlier about this, you can easily take over the attention of any platform or audience by being the "deliverer of news" to that platform, forum, subreddit, or group. If you are known to constantly inform the audience of the latest of what's going on, your persona becomes associated with quality and trust. You can then lay traffic leaks right into the content and not worry about backlash since the MODs benefit since you are driving a conversation and the users are gaining new knowledge.

For example, Search Engine Land has an article today about tests down with Google to see how far within javascript they crawl (We Tested How Googlebot Crawls Javascript And Here’s What We Learned). I could create a thread on BuilderSociety talking about what I've seen, what I think, and a direct link to the article and different quotes - therefore creating a conversation. @emp does this here with this: News - Verizon to buy AOL. He's not promoting anything, but it is news that you probably weren't aware of which could touch your life. He's got his signature ready just like I do, and at some point if something he posts connects with content on his blog or something he is pushing he can interlink it without a second thought. That's one of the 'deliverer of news' angle you can do to ANY platform, group, or website where users congregate.

Don't try to be "slick" but switch to "helping" in the early stages of traffic leaks, that will be a lot easier to transition until you arrive at a level where you are traffic leaking within content talking about how to traffic leak and all while blatantly doing it but people love it cause they gain knowledge and a warm fuzzy feeling - also at times they are entertained so it's a warm fuzzy feeling all around. You've got the juice now:

 

[emp]

Well, thank you @CCarter for blowing my cover.

Transparency time
In which emp discloses devious tactics, shares some pointers and blows other people's thin covers

Actually, this tactic of "gather their trust, then profit" is oooooooooooooooooold.
You'll find it rehashed in every second business book.

As for internet sites, we see it everywhere

• sharing news / info, dropping affiliate links or sidebar ads
• "Free" giveaways such as reports or whitepapers in exchange for your email
• Newsletters
• etc..

But the one we are talking about now is gathering the trust of an online community, then dropping money links. Also known as "traffic leaking in a nutshell".

Storytime
In which emp bores you to tears

#1 Becoming mod
As some might know, I am a mod at WF.
Now, being the nice (spelled: S T U P I D) guy I am, I really just helped people for the sake of helping. (Same goes for blindapeseo).

Well, at one point, I got contacted by a seller on there, asking if I'd like a whitelabel version of their link building service. I could sell it, get 30% of the revenue.

The deal was basically - they piggy back on my rep.
The service was solid, so I had no qualms about reselling it under my name.

And so - Kung Fu SEO was born.

Made some hundreds off the sales, then killed the cooperation, as it got more and more complicated to work with these people.​

#2 BlindapeSEO
Blindapeseo is the same. I really like to write about SEO and content stuff, giving little thought to monetization.
Yet if I do share a product review, it means money.

(There is like - 3 product reviews in the history of blindape, though.)​

Anyhow - the point is clear:
Being a well-known and helpful guy will bring in cash.
Even more than a few hundred if you are not as stupid as I am.

But emp.. didn't you want to blow some other people's covers?

Well... I'll limit myself to the guy above - hi CC.

CCarter made a big name for himself with his helpful posts on several forums.
And it is awesome stuff! Not even kidding.

You think it helps his business?
Well, I sure hope it does! He's got bills to pay, hobbies to finance, drugs to buy.

Another guy I know regularly offers FREE webinars on google adwords to small businesses. The last one took 3 hours for him and his partner, answering questions, etc...

Useful? Yes, he does good stuff, and the info is solid.

Does it help his business?
It sure does.
Two thirds of the people realize how hard that stuff is and that they can't do it on the level his agency can.
At that moment, they become his clients.

Even those that don't become his clients add to his rep, talking about him, etc.

Just remember, anytime you get stuff for free, someone might be marketing to you.
Watch for the money grab.

Summary
In which emp tries to summarize but fails spectacularly as he just has to make another point

Being a well-known and helpful guy will bring in reputation and that can be turned into money.

That extra point I have to bring across?
This is not easy.
You actually have to be helpful. Share great content, interact with people, staying on the ball.

But it pays.

::emp::

 

[MisterD]

I appreciate the advice from both you guys. I agree that I my assumption of relating fashion to female college graduates may have been unfounded. I'm actually a bit surprised that Alexa was showing this particular demographic on a competitor (government) site. It's kind of the opposite of what I had assumed the niche would be related to - less educated males.

I think the point that resonates with both your responses is be helpful above being a slimy marketer. Fortunately, this niche is full of demand and a never-ending supply of an audience.