I see you, Jake Sully!

In an ocean of marketing efforts, the meaning of words is often expropriated without compensation! Let’s have a look at two of my favorite terms: “avatar” and “niche”

What are the images that the word “avatar” evoke for you?? I am a fantasy and sci-fi junkie and in this instance, “I see blue people”.

But obviously, “avatar” can have different meanings depending on the context -? in general, it refers to a graphical representation of a user in a virtual world or online platform. It is a digital character that represents the player in the game world. The player can customize the avatar with various attributes such as appearance, clothing, weapons, and abilities.

In online forums and social media platforms, an avatar is a small image or icon that represents a user's profile. The avatar can be a photograph, a cartoon, or any other image that the user chooses to represent themselves online.

But remember, this isn’t Pandora!

In most marketing efforts, an avatar is mistakenly used from the perspective of the marketer - the “look at how great WE are” crowd. Then again, who can blame them? The term “avatar” originates from Hindu mythology! You may say it's only semantics, but “avatar” refers to the earthly incarnation of a deity. The concept has been adopted in various modern contexts to refer to a virtual representation of oneself. And herein lies the clincher - see yourself and your company as the marketing deity, and you are sure to miss the point. Instead of staring into the stream like Narcissus, turn around and see the daffodils - your customers!

You have found a rich vein of Unobtainium!

Flip the way you see it and an avatar becomes an important tool! It helps businesses understand and target their ideal customer. An avatar represents a fictionalized character that embodies the characteristics and behaviors of a business's ideal customer. By creating an avatar, companies can get a clearer understanding of who their target audience is, what their needs and desires are, and how they can best market their products or services to them.

Here are some ways that an avatar can be crucial in marketing:

1. Identifying the target audience: By creating an avatar, businesses can identify and understand the demographics, psychographics, and buying behaviors of their ideal customer. This can help them create targeted marketing campaigns that speak directly to their audience.
2. Creating effective marketing messages: With a clear understanding of their avatar, businesses can create messages that resonate with their target audience and address their pain points.
3. Tailoring products or services: An avatar can help businesses understand the needs and preferences of their ideal customer. By tailoring their products or services to meet these needs, businesses can create a more effective marketing strategy.
4. Increasing conversions: When businesses understand their avatar, they can create marketing campaigns that are more likely to convert leads into customers.

It is recess in a wall?

Well, yes - a niche is a shallow recess, especially one in a wall to display a statue or other ornament. But unless you are an interior decorator, rather refer to this as a marketing niche.

See that niche in your mind’s eye - it’s small and is custom-made for a very specific ornament. Now apply this image to your audience. You don’t have to be everything to everybody - you just need to be a comfortable space for your ideal customer. It really is as simple as that.

Understanding “niche” and “avatar” as marketing principles will help you better understand your target audience and create effective marketing campaigns that resonate with them.

Yet, I still see blue people!

Written by Hester le Grange

Edited by Lauren Erasmus

#reversedengineering #uniquereferralpoint

#avatar #socialmedia #targetmarket #strategy #success