How to Make the Target Audience Slide [Define & Connect]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- May 12
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 2
Our client, Ermin, asked us an interesting question while we were working on his investor presentation: "Do I really need a target audience slide? I mean, won’t the product speak for itself?"
Our Creative Director answered him with brutal clarity: "If you don’t show who it’s for, no one will know it’s for them."
As a presentation design agency, we work on many presentations throughout the year and have observed one thing commonly: people love to obsess over their product, their traction, their financials... but skip the one slide that tells us who all of that is actually for.
So, in this blog, we’ll address the often-overlooked target audience slide. Why it matters more than people think. How to avoid making it a generic filler. And how to design and narrate it like you actually care about the people you're selling to.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
What’s wrong with most target audience slides?
Most target audience slides are lazy. One line, something like “Millennials” or “SMBs,” and done. No context, no insight, just a label.
That’s not enough. A good target audience slide should make it clear who you’re solving for and why it matters. When it's vague, it tells us you haven't done the work. And if you’re not clear on who this is for, the rest of the pitch doesn’t hold up because people aren’t just buying the product, they’re buying the problem it solves for someone real.
Another common issue? Assuming it’s obvious. It’s not. If your audience has to guess who the solution is meant for, you’ve already lost their attention.
How to Design and Narrate a Great Target Audience Slide
1. Start With Specifics, Not Labels
One of the biggest mistakes people make is oversimplifying their target audience to a few buzzwords: “Young Professionals,” “Small Business Owners,” or “Tech Enthusiasts.” While these are useful at times, they often miss the mark. These labels can apply to almost anyone and fail to help your audience understand who exactly you’re speaking to.
The better approach? Get specific. Identify a persona that embodies the key traits of your ideal customer. Ask yourself:
What keeps them up at night?
What goals are they working toward?
What problems are they facing that your product can solve?
Take, for instance, an app designed for small business owners who need help managing their cash flow. Instead of labeling them as “Small Business Owners,” frame it as: “Sarah, a 38-year-old owner of a growing bakery, needs an easier way to forecast her monthly cash flow and manage expenses.”
Not only does this make it easier to understand who the product is for, but it also humanizes the audience, creating an emotional connection. It’s much more compelling to think of Sarah than just “small business owners.”
2. Use Data to Back Up Your Claims
A great target audience slide doesn’t just throw out a persona or label without context. It brings data to the table. Because let’s face it, the more precise you are about your target audience, the more confident your investors or clients will be in your understanding of the market. Data shows you’ve done the research, and you’re not guessing.
This is where you add a layer of credibility. Don’t just say, “Our target audience is tech-savvy millennials,” show us why this group is your target. What data points tell us this group needs what you’re offering? Do your homework and bring some solid stats to back up your claims.
For example:
“In 2024, 75% of small business owners in the U.S. reported struggling with cash flow management (source: Small Business Trends).”
“Tech-savvy millennials are the most likely demographic to adopt digital financial tools, with 60% of them already using budgeting apps regularly (source: Statista).”
This shows you’ve validated your target audience with research. It gives them a reason to believe your idea has legs because it’s grounded in real-world numbers.
3. Focus on the Problem, Not the Product
This is where most people get it wrong: their target audience slide ends up being more about the product than the audience itself. We see this with statements like, “Our app helps small business owners grow their online presence.” That’s great, but what’s missing is the why—why do they need that app? What’s the underlying problem?
The best target audience slides focus entirely on the problem the audience faces, because when you highlight that pain point, the audience is immediately drawn to how your solution fits. By positioning the problem as the hero of the slide, you show you understand your audience’s struggles and pain points.
For example, instead of saying, “Our app helps small business owners grow their online presence,” you could say:
“Small business owners are overwhelmed by social media algorithms and lack the time to create engaging posts. This means they miss out on customers who could drive growth.”
This brings your audience's frustrations to the forefront and shows that you’ve dug deep into their world. You’re not just selling a product—you’re offering a solution to their most pressing issue.
4. Highlight Demographic, Behavioral, and Psychographic Factors
A well-rounded target audience slide does more than show just a basic demographic breakdown. Sure, it’s useful to know that your audience is 25-40, but it’s far more impactful when you include behavioral and psychographic details as well.
Demographics: Age, gender, location, income level, job title.
Behavior: How do they spend their time? What challenges do they face in their daily life? How do they make decisions?
Psychographics: What are their core values? What motivates them? What do they care about deeply?
This deeper layer of insight provides a fuller picture. Let’s say you’re marketing an eco-friendly home cleaning product. Your target audience isn’t just “environmentally conscious individuals”—it’s those who:
Are 30-45, often working parents balancing busy careers with family life.
Shop for products that align with their values of sustainability.
Care deeply about reducing their carbon footprint, even if it costs a little more.
This gives your audience something more to relate to. It’s not just an app or a product; it’s a tool that fits into their lifestyle and values.
5. Show the Emotional Connection
People buy emotionally and justify logically. When you craft your target audience slide, you need to show why your audience is emotionally invested in solving this problem.
Let’s go back to the small business owner persona. Instead of just saying they need help with cash flow, you could talk about how, for Sarah, a poor financial forecast means sleepless nights, stress over payroll, and the constant fear of not making it. Those emotional stakes matter because they humanize the data and give real weight to the problem. When your audience feels the emotional intensity of the struggle, they connect more deeply with your solution.
Think about your target audience’s frustrations, hopes, and dreams. What do they want on a deeper level, and how can your solution make their lives better—not just easier, but more meaningful?
6. Narrative Over Bullet Points
When most people create a target audience slide, they rely heavily on bullet points. You know the type:
Age: 25-40
Location: Urban
Income: $40k+
Tech-savvy
This type of breakdown is okay for showing raw stats, but it doesn’t help connect with your audience emotionally. That’s where storytelling comes in. Try narrating the audience’s journey instead of listing stats. Paint a picture of who they are, what they struggle with, and how your solution fits into their world. You can use a brief narrative or a quick scenario to make them real to the audience.
For instance:
“Sarah’s bakery is thriving, but she’s spending more time managing invoices than baking. She needs a cash flow tool that allows her to focus on what she does best—creating delicious pastries while feeling confident about her finances.”
This isn’t a bullet point; it’s a story. And stories are what people remember.
7. Use Visuals to Reinforce the Narrative
The visual elements on your target audience slide are just as important as the words. Use relevant images or icons to create context and emphasize your points. The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, so a well-chosen visual can reinforce your message in seconds.
For example, instead of simply showing a list of traits on the slide, you could add a photo of a person who represents your target audience. You could show a millennial working from a coffee shop, a small business owner managing her team, or a parent juggling work and home life. These visuals add a human touch, making the target audience more relatable.
You don’t need to go overboard with fancy graphics, but choosing the right image can make a world of difference in how your audience engages with the content.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.