Understanding Your Target Audience.
Updated: Mar 2, 2021
VoiceAmerica Interview with Bob Charney
Our very own Bob Charney, CEO and President of RSC Marketing & Advertising, was asked to be a Guest on Voice America by host John Grace of Investor’s Advantage to share what he has learned over the years.
In this show, Bob shared invaluable information about knowing your target audience and what’s important to them, what benefits you provide your prospective customer or client and what are the best tools to communicate information about your business.
Read all about it!
VoiceAmerica: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION FOR MARKETING A NEW OR EXISTING BUSINESS?
Bob Charney: “Understanding your target audience is the most important consideration because it influences every other marketing decision you make to jumpstart your business. Not only do you have to know their demographics: age, household income, sex, number and age of kids in household…their education, etc. you also should try to understand their psychographics: what do they like in life: Are they luxury buyers, do they like to travel, are they animal lovers, do they like golf, fashion, theatre, music…These insights will help you communicate with them more effectively.
Most importantly though, it’s critical to know what’s important to them…what benefits does your product or service deliver to these prospects. Mostly people want to know what you can do for them. They care about the products and/or service you provide only to the extent it substantiates the promised benefits. For example, if you’re an estate planning attorney, talk about protecting family assets versus that you do wills. Substantiate the claim with information about wills and trusts…but also be sure to communicate reasons people will believe you are more capable than others who do the same thing.
Be sure to define your target audience in terms of geography too. Are you serving prospective customers internationally, nationally, regionally, locally? This influences marketing budgets and media decisions.”
VoiceAmerica: WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE THING ABOUT MY BUSINESS THAT I SHOULD BE COMMUNICATING TO PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS?
Bob Charney: “Well I really want to reiterate and emphasize that it’s all about the benefits you provide to your prospective customers or clients. Most companies tend to communicate a list of the products and services they offer, which doesn’t make you different from your competitors. Let me give you an example.
RSC Marketing was asked to help a local pet store reverse declining sales. The reason was increased competition from big box retailers like Costco and PetSmart…but also online pet stores like Chewy.com. After learning more about the target audience and the products offered at the pet store, we discovered their customers care that the owner is on the premises and because of his experience, can consult with them about their pets’ health…especially digestive issues, joint pain, lethargy, allergies and more…and that the store carries products to treat those ailments not available elsewhere. They were a little older too and more often women.
Our recommendation was to promote the owner as an expert in keeping your pet healthy and create ads that asked people, “Does your dog have allergies?”, “Is your cat lethargic?”…etc..and then offer solutions to these issues. The campaign reversed their sales decline and reinvigorated the business.”
VoiceAmerica: WHICH MEDIUM IS THE BEST TOOL TO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION ABOUT MY BUSINESS OR ABOUT ANY PROMOTIONAL OFFERS?
Bob Charney: “The first and most essential medium is your website. For every kind of company, including professional service firms like CPA’s, attorneys, insurance agents, doctors, etc…..your website is the first customer and client touchpoint where they go to learn more about your enterprise. If they discover the benefits of your product or service on your website, they’re more likely to do business with you. Certainly social media is important. But ask yourself how many prospective customers will see my message? Some companies don’t have that many followers, so social media might not reach that many people. But buying ads versus just posting on social media is a good idea. But again, consider your target audience and make sure you’re placing advertising messages where the people who need and want your products and services are getting their information. Make media choices based on what demographic the medium delivers, cost and cost efficiency, geography, and the ability to creatively deliver your messaging. Media planning and buying is complicated…resist making media decisions based on your own media habits. Same thing with your creative ideas…ads should reflect the personality of your sales prospects, not what you personally like.”
And that’s a wrap! Thank you to VoiceAmerica for hosting Bob on your show. He loves to talk shop and is a wealth of knowledge, with over 45 years of experience in the advertising agency business. He has experience in a variety of industries working on such accounts as AT&T Retail Phone Centers, Zenith Consumer Electronics, Bristol Farms, Public Storage, Armstrong Garden Centers, Shakey’s Pizza Restaurants, International House of Pancakes, Encino State Bank, Macy’s (custom home decorating), the Los Angeles Daily News, the Northern & Southern California Jaguar dealers, the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall, and many individual auto dealerships.
RSC Marketing & Advertising provides small and medium size business owners with affordable and creative marketing services designed to increase sales.
We would love to speak with you about your business! Call us today at (888) 728-0703 or email us at info@rscmarketing.com. For a complete list of services, visit our website at rscmarketing.com
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