Do You Know Who You're Talking To?

You will never please everyone all of the time.  Ever.

But if you know your own business as well as your target audience well, you can focus on reaching them with laser intensity.

AT & T uses the power of kids to sell its many features

When I asked a client recently, “who is your target audience” and they said “everyone,” I knew we had some work to do.   Even AT & T with their wildly popular current campaign is aiming at a specific demo.

Only through answering the following questions can you begin to maximize your marketing efforts for yourself or on behalf of your clients so you can make an emotional connection.

The essence of a successful spot, ad or campaign lies in five basic tenets:

Think men over 50 is the audience?

Who are you marketing to and why?

What is it you sell and what makes it (or you) unique?  If I took out an ad for a similar product and changed the name of the product to yours would you know the difference?  If so, dig deeper.    Who are your main competitors?  What are they doing to market themselves and do you share an audience?

What do people think about your product?

Time for some tough love aimed at yourself.  Just look at your Twitter or Facebook reactions and you’ll get a good feeling, good, bad or indifferent.  Now, you’re at leastarmed with some info.  Time to ask some questions and engage your Friends with some honest discussion.  How you like me now?

Who is your target customer?

Male or female?  Young or old?  What do they believe?  What are their interests?  Are you selling nationally or locally?  What is the psychographic you are trying to reach?  Create a psychological profile of the ideal customer you are currently attracting, and those you WANT to reach.  

For instance, even though television newscasts may look the same in each market, one often skews older, one younger and one in between.  One may be considered more serious and one more hard-hitting.  Often, there's no right or wrong.  You are who your audience thinks you are.

Who is your ideal customer?

Who would throw their arms and embrace what you are selling?  That demographic or psychographic might be hipster men 18-24 and socially conscious women 50+.  It could happen.  Figure out the best message to  reach them…and through what medium?   Television?  Radio?  Print?  Outdoor?  Of course, each message should include social media.

Why do I need focus?

You are NEVER targeting “everyone.”   Even the giants like Coca-Cola and McDonalds know who’s buying their products, and it’s not everyone.  Even if the audience is pretty broad and you have the money to reach them, why are you asking advice from me?  You’re already doing well and have figured it out. 

Since most of us are reaching out to specific and limited audiences with a limited marketing budget, focus on the “low-hanging fruit”—the customers most vulnerable to your pitch—then branch out from there.

So, develop a laser strategy that is consistent, clever and delivers your promise to a limited group.

It’s a start, right?

--Rich Brase

rich@richideas.net

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