What did your client have for breakfast?

Know your audience. How many times have you heard that? Well, that’s because it’s critical in marketing your brand, no matter how you choose to reach them. 

This past year has shown us that the world can be thrown upside down in the blink of an eye. Yet, for brands, the one constant was the consumer. Some brands had to pivot (yes, we used that word) in order to keep their consumers on side. Other brands were fortunate that their customers required their services regardless of the pandemic. But the common denominator? Clients, customers, consumers – whatever you wish to call them. 

As Jessica Best, Vice President, Data-Driven Marketing at Barkley said, “At this point, we have to admit that we don’t know what we don’t know… The only truth is that if we follow the needs of our consumers – in content creation, and in research and development – we should still have a place in the market in 2021.” 

So here’s our question to you. Do you know your customer? We see you nodding. But we’ll ask again. Do you really know your customer? If we asked you to personify them for us, would you be able to tell us their likes and dislikes? Their general age? What are their biggest problems? What do they eat for breakfast? Ok, that last one is maybe not so relevant but you get the picture. 

Why, oh why, you need
to know your audience

Success in content marketing starts with your audience. How can you create compelling, engaging and creative content without knowing who you are talking to? It’s a saturated world out there. You need to stand out with excellent marketing – content, digital, social, guerilla and everything in between. 

You need to ensure you’re actually helping your audience. Customers want to know that your product or service will benefit them. So, don’t you need to know who they are and what challenges they’re facing? It also helps you set your tone and voice for your messaging. Think of it this way: intimately knowing your audience is almost like living in their minds. You should be answering their questions before they’ve even asked them. Creepy, we know. But necessary. 

Getting friendly 

It’s all well and good to understand why you need to know your audience, but how do you go about it? 

1. Put yourself in their everyday shoes. For example, if you’re a food company and you know that your customer’s everyday life is busy, that they struggle to create easy, nutritious meals for their family, well then, there are your blog posts right there – content focusing on easy, healthy meals that can be cooked quickly. Problem solved.

2. Analyse the data. There is a lot of data around that you can sift through to gain a better understanding of your audience’s behaviour, from their purchasing habits to their decision-making. If you already have a database, reach out to them directly or create a survey. You should also be analysing your content to see what blogs worked best, and which topics didn’t resonate. 

3. Build a connection. Listen to consumer feedback and look at how they are engaging with your brand. Monitoring your audience over time gives you a clear understanding of patterns and habits. Then, respond to the feedback accordingly, through your marketing and through your product or service. 

A necessary process

Understanding your audience is a continual process. It’s not always easy, but it’s most definitely necessary. Your audience wants content that resonates with them. As a brand, you need to be creating content that people will read and appreciate. You need to look at your content from the audience’s point of view – that’s how you build trust, rapport and loyalty.