Looking at a church brochure the other day screamed of problems. The artwork looked like the traditional Greek architecture of the building, while at the same time they were advertising to an early twenties demographic. What a disaster! They were trying to connect what one generation thought was important with a generation that could care less about it. The result was a waste of effort and resources.
To connect an ad to a demographic you must get into the mind of your target audience. You must know their interest and design accordingly. If you are a successful fisherman then the process is similar. Identify the fish, bait with its favorite food, place it in front of their face at feeding time, and reel in the catch.
There are two primary components to understanding your audience, demographics and psychographics. Demographics refer to the quantifiable, statistical characteristics of a population or a specific group of people. These characteristics are typically used to categorize and segment populations into various groups based on shared traits.
Psychographics, on the other hand, delve into the psychological and emotional aspects of individuals and groups. They provide a deeper understanding of consumer behavior and preference.
Let’s understand who you desire to connect your product to:
- Define your target demograpic
- Age
- Gender
- Income
- Education
- Marital Status
- Occupation
- Location
- Ethnicity
- Household Size
- Language
- Define your target psychographic
- Lifestyles
- Values
- Attitudes
- Personality Traits
- Motivations
- Opinions
- Behavioral Patterns
Keep in mind it is not always what we like that attracts others. You must know your target audience and what is attractive to them. So the next time you have something to offer someone, package it in a way that is familiar and attractive to them. You might just catch that fish.
As always, there is more to the story. Check back soon for more details.
