Every brand faces advertising challenges, especially when it comes to identifying and reaching a target audience. Consumers are constantly on the go, so pinpointing their locations and getting them to see an ad can seem like a daunting task. However, every problem has a solution.

Here are three of the most common challenges in pinpointing the right audience and solutions to overcome them:

Problem 1: Identifying the target audience

Some brands aren’t quite sure who their target market is. They might have a vague idea but without a detailed description, advertising efforts will fall flat.

For example, targeting women over 50 is a start, but it’s not enough information. What kind of jobs do they have? What kind of income do these women make? Do they have kids? Are they married? Where do they live?

Advertising efforts will be more effective with answers to these questions.

Solution: Gather information

By using a variety of tactics, gathering information about a target audience is fairly simple. Consider sending a short survey to current customers to gather information, have consumers fill out a short form when signing up for your email list or create fun quizzes for social channels that collect customer preferences.

Problem 2: Reaching the target audience

Once an audience is identified, the next hurdle is actually reaching it. Reaching the affluent, female executive who’s married, over the age of 50 and living in Santa Fe can be tricky.

Delivering a message to the right audience at the right time and place is one of the toughest aspects of advertising.

Solution: Try programmatic advertising

Programmatic advertising allows brands to pinpoint their target audiences and deliver on-point messages online. How? When a customer meeting defined audience criteria is about to visit a website, an advertiser can instantly buy an ad on that site so the consumer sees it.

Programmatic advertising uses algorithms and automation to identify the best ad space for a brand, purchase it and display an ad in the time it takes a website to load.

It’s remarkably accurate at locating target customers, which is why many advertisers believe this cost-effective method is the wave of the future.

Problem 3: Focusing on one advertising method

It’s easy to focus on one advertising method, especially if it’s yielding decent results. However, audiences evolve just as advertising options do. There may be important shifts not only in how they are accessing content but when. By concentrating on one advertising method, companies may be missing opportunities to connect with consumers.

Solution: Diversify advertising tactics

Reaching a target market is a continuous challenge that’s best met through a diverse array of advertising efforts. If email marketing is successful, combine it with social media advertising. To reach customers online, try search marketing or programmatic advertising.

It’s important to diversify ad options to ensure continued success. Some firms have been able to learn as they go along how to execute multi-faceted marketing strategies. Many of them have tapped into outside expertise, working with agencies and consultancies to create more targeted, successful campaigns that incorporate programmatic, search, email and social media marketing.