We don’t like calling people the target market.
Or user. Or customer. Or lead. Or consumer. Or prosumer. Or shopper. Or purchaser. Or buyer. Or prospect. Or visitor. Or data. Or any other abstract noun to describe who we’re trying to reach.
We like calling who we want to reach our ideal reader because it helps us sharpen our words. As part of our process we create real-life personas and more so we can better understand what drives them, what motivates them, what makes them human.
Only then can we produce better writing that reaches deeper and effects change.