Any savvy business owner knows that the key to marketing success is understanding your target audience. Comprehending how potential customers think, what they value, and what problems they’re looking to solve will get their attention - and their business.
But what if you have multiple target audiences? This is an all too common dilemma, especially for businesses that offer a wide range of products. It can be tough to imagine a brand appealing equally to an inner-city Gen-Zer and a suburban retiree.
The good news? With research and smart strategy, it’s totally possible. So, let’s get into how to create impactful messaging that resonates with multiple audiences.
1. You Can’t Please Everyone
A mistake some businesses make when addressing multiple audiences is trying to appeal to everyone. They’ll come up with purposely vague messaging that won’t exclude any segment of the market. The problem? It’s unlikely to truly speak to anyone either.
The truth is, very few businesses can appeal to a general audience. By trying to appeal to everyone, you could end up appealing to no-one. Think of this strategy as a bit like yelling at passers-by with a loudspeaker. Sure, you’ve got everyone’s attention - but are people actually listening to what you have to say?
Therefore, the first step in creating a watertight marketing strategy is accepting that you can’t please everyone. In fact, you might even alienate certain segments of the market by zoning-in on others.
Take, for example, a fast fashion retailer targeting Gen-Zers through TikTok. The business’s content is unlikely to appeal with mid-career professionals yet, ultimately, that’s ok. Truly resonating with segments of the market is more valuable than a broad, undefined strategy.
2. Do Separate Research
Dig into the foundations of any great marketing strategy and you’ll find exceptional research. In order to appeal to audiences, you need to understand exactly what makes them tick, what they value and what media they’re consuming.
So, when it comes to research, it’s vital that you separately research each audience segment you plan to target. Then, using this information, you can write up multiple individual customer personas. These are detailed profiles of hypothetical customers for your business.
For example, let’s say that our persona for audience segment one is Clare. Clare is a woman in middle-age living in the commuter belt and making upwards of 50,000 per year. Her core values are family and advancing her marketing career. Clare doesn’t have much in common with Andy, our persona for audience segment two. He’s a 20-something living in the city centre who, whilst invested in his career, is prioritising socialising and travelling.
Comparing in this way makes it crystal clear that our two target audiences are living very different lives. By researching each separately - and creating detailed customer personas - you can see where there is crossover and when messaging needs to diverge.
3. Tailor Your Messaging
Whatever the industry, a business needs a clearly defined tone and personality. Whilst it might be tempting to switch these up in order to appeal to diverse audiences, it’s essential that a consistent brand story is an anchor for all marketing content.
So, to meet the needs of wildly diverse audiences, you’ll have to strategically tailor your messaging for each group. By tweaking for individual audiences, and emphasising the unique benefits for each segment, you can engage multiple audiences in parallel - without losing the core personality of your business.
As a vital sales tool, it’s important that your website appeals to your multiple audiences. One way to do this is by segmenting your pages based on audience. This means that browsers can be immediately directed towards content that matters to them. Engagement and conversion will sky-rocket when customers are connecting with targeted content that speaks their language and meets their unique needs.
4. Use Media Platforms Strategically
As well as tailored content, strategise how you can use various marketing channels to address different audiences. Ultimately, knowing where to find your audience is just as important as knowing what they want.
Let’s say, for example, you’re an independent mortgage advisor. You may create a Tik Tok presence almost exclusively targeting young first time buyers. Over on Facebook, you could create posts geared towards clients buying a family home. YouTube might be where older clients will go to get advice on re-mortgaging and equity release - so that’s where you’ll be uploading informational videos.
By splitting your strategy this way, you can engage audiences on the platforms they use the most. Ultimately, by zoning in on market segments without losing track of your business’s core identity, it’s possible to masterfully engage multiple audiences and maximise your client base.
Still struggling to balance multiple target audiences? Contact Clarity Consultants today to find out how we can help with practical solutions, expertise, and hands-on training https://www.clarityconsultants.ltd
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