HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE?

At Syrup, we talk a lot about making sure you know your audience. In fact, we believe you should know who your audience is before you do anything else with your brand and marketing.?

And there are many, many companies and brands that?think?they know their audience. But do they really?

I recently saw this graphic here on LinkedIn. I wish I could remember where or who I saw it from.

The idea is this: knowing your audience is more than just knowing demographics or titles. It’s more than just saying “owners of B2B companies.” It’s even more than saying “male, born in 1948 in the UK, and wealthy and famous.”

IT’S TRULY UNDERSTANDING WHAT PROBLEMS THEY FACE, AND WHY THEIR LIVES WOULD BE CHANGED WITH YOUR PRODUCT AND/OR SERVICE.

Looking back at that picture of Prince Charles and Ozzy Osbourne above, I’d bet money on the fact that they are both facing different challenges and are likely not both the right audience for your product or service. Understanding those differences and challenges matters. Why waste money targeting Prince Charles if the person who would really benefit from your product or service is Ozzy Osbourne?

Persona profiles should always include challenges and a future picture, meaning, what would life look like for them if they were working with you?

Yes, demographics are important. You should know the basics. BUT, more importantly,?you should understand the challenges they face and how you can make their lives better.?That’s the real win in knowing your audience.

Today, I challenge you to really dig in. How well do you know your audience? You may find you need to spend some more time understanding them and their challenges so that you can properly talk/market to them.