How understanding your customer's motivations enhances the success of your marketing messages

When marketing your business, you know how important it is to speak to your target audiences. These are the people who need to understand what your value is, to want to buy from you, refer you business, or supply you with goods/services. You know how important it is to have an effective marketing plan to reach those people. But have you thought about how to make sure your marketing messages are speaking to your target audience’s needs??

How do you write a marketing message which is going to resonate with your audience? Whether you’re posting on social media, writing a blog for your website, or writing your pitch for a networking event, knowing that your core messages appeal to the needs and wants of your audience is the difference between gathering leads and tumbleweed.?

What you need is to understand what people may need, their core drivers, and how to understand where your offering fits in the bigger picture. In this blog we’ll take you through different ‘needs’ of humans, showcase real-life examples, and give you a simple structure for writing your core marketing message.

What do my customers need??

When offering a product or service it’s easy to fall into the trap of designing something which we think is amazing, before testing the waters to see if it’s actually something needed in society. Without understanding the needs of your customers and prospects, it becomes very difficult to tailor marketing messages to attract leads, because you’re unable to get much further than talking about features and benefits - and we all know that this is very 1990s.?

The question we need the answer to here is WHY??

Why are your customers motivated to buy? What is it that means they need what you have to offer? To understand more about this, we’re going to firstly look at what motivates people, and to do this we’re going to explore Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.?

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need

Developed in 1943, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is “a motivational theory comprising of a five-tier model of human needs” (McLeod, 2007). The five-level model was then expanded in the 70s, to an eight-layer pyramid (pictured below). While the model is quite old, it is still useful in giving us a simple tool to understand more about what your customers could be thinking and feeling.?        

Hierarchy of Needs

As determined by Maslow (1970) the pyramid of hierarchy is split into two key types of need: Deficiency and Growth. The way you move between these categories (and the whole hierarchy) is not set in stone, and can fluctuate and change depending on individual circumstances.

Deficiency Needs?

Deficiency Needs comprise the first four levels within the hierarchy. These tend to arise as a result of being deprived of something, leading to a motivation within people to get access to these things. The longer you’re without something in these levels, the more you are motivated to get it. Similarly, when you get access to the thing you need here, the motivation to get it again may drop, therefore transitioning to a Growth Need.?

Level 1: Physiological Needs

Physiological needs relate to things which human beings need to survive: air, food, shelter, warmth, sleep. It is biologically ingrained within our natures to want and need things within this category.?

As an organisation, your customers may have a need for your product or service if you work within the following sectors: food and beverage, energy, non-for-profits, local authority, construction, agriculture, manufacturing.?

Based on this category surrounding things we need, there is an associated passion around having access to products and services - often customers feel like having these things should be a ‘given’, thus paying for them as a basic human requirement. It is arguable here that the focus for customers here is on perceived value, based on personal circumstance.

For example, you are a manufacturer of a pasta brand. Your customers are in the supermarket aisle considering which option on the shelf is better for them to buy, because either way they’ve run out of pasta. Is your pasta more reasonably priced than your competitors? Is your pasta better quality than your competitors? Is your pasta gluten free or vegan? Is your packaging more attractive??

Level 2: Safety Needs

Safety needs, as suggested by the name, are related to things which make people feel safe and protected. It encompasses things like: protection, security, law and order, stability, freedom from fear, financial security, health and wellbeing, property.?

As an organisation, your audience may have a need for your product or service if you are within the following sectors: alarms and home security, health and safety, insurance, financial planning, pension providers, health and wellbeing, estate agents, solicitors, emergency services, human rights groups.?

In essence, when you have secured your basic human needs - i.e. a home and its contents, this level of hierarchy exists because of a need to protect what’s yours, and who you are. With the theme of things within this category surrounding risk, there could be two motivations here:?

1. You are looking to invest in a product or service because it’s a necessary evil (i.e. car insurance, home insurance, house alarms)
2. You are passionate about an issue related to who you are, therefore make decisions around who to invest in linked to your own personal values and experiences.?

Level 3: Love and Belonging

Love and Belonging needs are surrounded by the feeling of wanting to be affiliated with other people - be part of a group. Themes here include friendship, intimacy, trust and acceptance.?

Your business here will be reliant on people with similar interests and goals/challenges. You may run a community, you may organise events, you could be a blogger or content creator with a particular niche.?

It is likely that organisations which fall into this category of audience needs will need to invest in places for people to communicate and have their opinion. People are looking to use your offering to enhance their own relationships, meaning that you may need to consider how well you are building relationships and trust with your consumers.?

Level 4: Esteem

Within this level of the hierarchy, it is suggested that there are two types of esteem need:

1. Esteem for self - this relates to themes of dignity, achievement, mastery and independence. Within this need, you may find that your audience is looking to better themselves through education, training and qualifications. They are able to showcase their expertise and skills to others.?
2. Need to be accepted/valued - this relates to themes of status and prestige. Here your audience may be looking for a way to show their authority to others, showcasing that they can be trusted. This may link to things like awards, media features, blogging, reviews.

Growth Needs

Growth Needs don’t come from a place of ‘not having’, but more a want to develop and grow as a person. Think of this type of need as much less tangible, more emotional.?

Level 5: Cognitive Needs

Cognitive needs relate to people being able to build their knowledge and understanding, harnessing their curiosity and exploration. This often derives from a need for meaning.?

No, your customers don’t necessarily have to be going through a midlife crisis here! Where this is pertinent is when you’re developing your target audience personas, and you’re considering your audience’s interests and opinions.?

As an organisation, your audience may be considering things like: books, online learning, mentors and coaches, travel and tourism, experiences and events. There is a transformation here in the motivation of your customers from needing something every day, to wanting to experience something which they can look back on and remember at a later point in life.?

Level 6: Aesthetic Needs

Aesthetic needs relate to themes of beauty, balance and form, and having an appreciation for these in various contexts.?

Does your business fall into categories such as art, nature and the outdoors, architecture? This is your time to shine. Human beings need to refresh themselves when surrounded by things of beauty - this may lead to inspiration, comfort.?

Level 7: Self-actualisation

Self-actualisation is the need to be your best self. You want to get the most from your abilities, and are focused on themes of personal growth and discovery.?

Consumers within this category are likely to have the following characteristics:

• Strong moral and ethical standards
• Quite democratic in their attitude
• Perceptive of efficiency and can tolerate uncertainties.

Consumers here may be looking to invest in personal and professional development using the services of coaches, advisors or reading and learning consciously, regularly.?

Level 8: Transcendence

Needs within transcendence are related to themes of things ‘beyond a personal self’. Here we’re thinking about things like: mystical, aesthetic, service to others, science, faith.?

Within this stage, your customers are likely to be motivated by things they value - aligning with organisations who portray similar values. They are driven by feelings of ‘having meaning and purpose’.?

You may be thinking, how does this then apply to my marketing messaging??

What is marketing messaging?

Marketing messaging is how a brand communicates a link between their value, and what their target audiences need or want. It is NOT talking about the features and benefits of your product or service. The focus of quality marketing messaging is how you are there to fulfil your audiences’ needs, problem solving.?

As a brand you should be able to craft marketing messages which align you with your prospective customers, because you have taken time to understand what motivates them. Once you have crafted your various messages, you are then able to communicate them using the marketing strategies within your overall plan.?

How to design effective marketing messages

So, you have taken some time to get familiar with what motivates your audiences. You know what a marketing message is. It’s time to nail yours! Here are some simple steps to follow when writing or refreshing your marketing messages.?

Step 1: Target audience personas

To make sure you’re not confusing your messaging by trying to talk to different needs of different audiences each week, it’s important to clearly set out who you are trying to position yourself in front of.?

There are four groups of people you need to consider here:?

1. Your primary audience - your number one clients. These are the people who you would love to have several of in your customer database. They’re aligned with your values, they’re bought into your offerings, they’re engaging with all of your marketing activities, they have the greatest lifespan and value.?
2. Your secondary audience - these are people who you will sell part of your offering to, but maybe aren’t as interested or consistently buying from you. This could be a one-off project, it could be someone who only needs your product once. They may follow you on social media but don’t engage with all of your posts.?
3. Your strategic partners - think of these people as those who you share values with, you have common interests, but they aren’t customers. These could be people who you would collaborate on projects with due to having similar audiences. These could be people who may be able to refer you to customers, and vice-versa. They need to know what you’re up to in order to help you grow your business.
4. Other key stakeholders - these are people who are invested in your organisation but don’t actively promote you or purchase from you. This could be people in your supply chain, your employees, your investors. It is vital that you’re working with people who share your motivations and values, and you should engage them in your goals.?

Once you have a list of these groups of people, gather information on exactly who they are. When writing your target audience personas you should understand the following information about them: demographics, revenue information, individuals, goals and challenges, personal interests and opinions, perceptions and attitudes, social factors, motivations.?

Step 2: Write your value proposition

Now that you have a clear understanding of your audience, it’s time to communicate your value to them in a way which resonates with their motivations: your value proposition.?

We always suggest to our clients to use the simple structure of the Value Proposition Canvas to do this, because it keeps things clear and concise.?

First, start with The Customer column:

1. Customer Jobs - these are the things your customer is having to do or struggle with that they would like taken off their to do list
2. Pains - these are the things the customer is feeling as a result of the jobs being on their to do list. If we were a fly on the wall in their house or business we’d see these things going wrong, we’d experience their emotions.?
3. Gains - these are the things which your customers expect to gain as a result of having access to your product or service.?

Once you’ve written your customer column, you then want to flip these things on their head to form how you convey your value:

1. Customer Jobs become your Products/Services - what do you offer to customers to solve their problems. Here you want to explain simply ‘what you do’.
2. Pains become Pain Relievers - think of this as ‘how you do it’. How are you doing what you do? What kind of approach do you take to your work? How are you alleviating their pain?
3. Gains become Gain Creators - this is where you describe the experience you’re creating for your customers, by showcasing your value. In the example above we describe ourselves as storytellers, analysts and sounding boards. This is ‘your way of being’?

Step 3: Craft your Brand Story

You now have everything you need to finalise your key marketing messages. Your Brand Story is the final piece of the puzzle, and is something you use to take people from being interested in what you have to say, to taking action.?

Using your value proposition canvas, for each of the audiences you’ve identified you can write a brand story. We advocate our clients use the StoryBrand structure to do this, as it is simple to follow.?

Imagine the structure of a child’s book or your favourite film. There’s a character (your customer) who has a problem, usually defined by the villain of the story (the thing blocking your customer from getting what they need). This manifests into them taking on some form of journey (where you can explore their motivations and emotions). Throughout this journey, they find a guide - someone to help them get to where they need to be (YOU). They may have to form a bond with this person before they fully trust them (your authority and reputation). The guide then takes them through the final legs of their journey (the process), calling them to action (overcoming their barrier), leading to a happily ever after (the transformation).?

Now in the world of Marvel or Lord of the Rings this may take an eternity to come to fruition, but in reality for your customers this should feel incredibly straightforward. The main thing to remember here is that the character of the story is the hero, not their guide - don’t talk about yourself too much if you truly want to resonate with your customers.?

Generate consistent leads by crafting effective marketing messages

To make sure the time you’re spending on marketing isn’t a waste it’s vital that you’re crafting messages which are going to actually resonate with your audiences. To do this, you need to understand what motivates them, and relate your offering to this in a way which gets them to buy into your brand.?

If you would benefit from chatting through this process with someone, let’s grab a coffee. Use the link here to book it in the diary .