In the article, “Getting to Know Your Target Audience”, the author directs the reader to better target the online audience by asking important questions. These questions are designed to break down a heterogeneous group of all online learners into smaller, more homogeneous groups of specific audience members. This is a common strategy in marketing called Segmentation. In Segmentation, there are four specific ways to group people. Demographics, Geographics, Psychographics and Product Related Factors.

In an online learning program, it is important to use the basic marketing principle of segmentation because it will better segregate people into the groups that will perform better and be more successful. It also helps the administration of instruction become more meaningful. For example, Fontenot, author of the article, uses the question of prerequisites as a segmentation question. This is a very important question in online learning. This is especially important when the curriculum is set up to be delivered on a rolling basis. By allowing students to enter into a program at any random place, the student may not have the appropriate prerequisite for the course. In an Accounting II course, it should be mandated that a student have basic math, Excel and Accounting I in order to be enrolled. This is not always the case. If a student is not equipped with the basic knowledge, it would be difficult to jump into a higher level course.

However, there are limitations to the segmentation process in online learning. The audience can become so small that it would not be cost effective to run each target market in separate sections or courses. It could also create such a homogeneous group that Group Think could occur. It also eliminates diversity and positive dissent. If a team is so similar that it shares all opinions, it may not prove to be a learning experience and more of a reinforcing experience. Opinion may overshadow factual learning.

In conclusion, It is important to target the markets in specific ways. But it is also important to create some diversity in order to maintain a rich learning environment.