So make sure you feature your target audience in you marketing.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the majority of people are attracted to people “who look like them.”
By that, I mean people tend to be “tribal” and therefore mixed with others who have similar personalities, hobbies, interests or even political persuasions.
Have a think about your own circle of friends and I bet you’ll find these to be true.
And this is “why” you need to feature your “target audience” in your marketing communications.
In other words, if you have a product or service which is aimed at the “baby boomer demographic,” then feature people in this age group throughout your marketing messages.
Let’s take a prestige sports car for example.
If the primary target audience for this vehicle happens to be white collar men over 40 with a high income, then it makes sense to feature men in this demographic profile throughout all of the advertising (both offline and online) for this vehicle.
It just makes plain sense, doesn’t it?
If you are selling a brand new trendy designed skateboard, chances are you would feature teenage boys with your product.
And if you were marketing a new wind-up musical toy for baby bassinet, chances are you’d feature young mums in your advertising.
I’m amazed at how many businesses forget to feature their “target audience” in their marketing!
I’m continually baffled at how many businesses don’t feature their target audience in their advertising.
The industry that most intrigues me in this regard is “the real estate game.”
If you speak to a real estate agent, he or she will tell you that they are professionals at “marketing homes.”
But I challenge you to see any online or offline real estate advertisements where there are “humans” featured in any of the homes advertised!
In the vast majority of cases, real estate agents tend to be selling “ghost houses” – with not a human inside of the home!
There are empty kitchens, bathrooms, swimming pools, bed rooms, front yard and backyards ……….not a human anywhere to be seen!
And if there’s a fireplace, there’s never a classic photo of the children toasting marshmallows or perhaps a couple enjoying a romantic glass of wine around it.
So don’t fall into the trap of thinking that it’s just your “product or service” is the thing that prospects are interested in.
It’s “how” that product or service benefits them – and the best way of demonstrating this is to show a member of your target audience enjoying exactly those benefits!
You’ll see that the smart furniture retailers feature people dining at the dining room table or using the remote on the lounge in front of the television.
Seen café’s and restaurants marketing their businesses with empty seat?
The other industry which “blows me away” in terms of how naive their marketing is – and that’s the hospitality game.
I bet you’ve seen plenty of cafes and restaurant marketing themselves with a photograph of empty premises – beautiful tables and chair are neatly arranged – but no people!
What is this telling the person who is looking that advertisement?
You got it – this place can’t be too popular, there’s no one there!
Although “hotels and resorts“ are somewhat more sophisticated in their marketing than cafes and restaurants, I have still seen some resorts displaying empty swimming pools in their advertising.
And you won’t believe this!
I recently checked the websites of “THE TOP 50 RESORTS IN THE WORLD” and not 1 featured video testimonials from guests!
Can you believe that?
The most potent form of marketing for any business in the hospitality game is video testimonials – and yet not 1 resort has featured any of its target audience in video commentary.
So when you’re sitting down to prepare your next online or offline advertising campaign, make sure you consider how you can feature examples of your target audience in you communications.
You’ll find this will give you greater “cut-through” because instantly, your prospects can feel “an affinity” with your message because they can see “people like them” enjoying the benefits of your product or service.
Remember “people are attractive to people who look like them.”
