It is so incredibly easy to say and believe that anyone and everyone is a potential customer, regardless of whether you are working in the B2B or B2C field. Our tendency is to never limit those our target market because doing so would close the door on future opportunities. However, in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Who doesn’t love the “Where’s Waldo?” books? Both kids and adults alike spend hours looking for Waldo, his nemesis Odlaw, Woof, and Wizard Whitebeard, who are hidden in a sea of people. In marketing, the book characters symbolize who our ideal target audience is, with details specific to each person to help identify them. This goes beyond the surface of simply male or female. Rather it means looking at the psychographics, or the personality, values and opinions, of a particular group of individuals by asking questions like:
- What types of cars do they drive?
- What types of beverages do they prefer to drink?
- What forms of entertainment do they frequent (i.e. professional sports, concerts, amusement parks)
- Hobbies?
- Vacation spots?
- Grocery purchases?
Knowing the answers to these types of questions can help you discern how to best communicate with your target audience, what messages will most resonate, and when they are likely to hear it. This information allows you to speak “directly” with Waldo (your target audience) and yet, by default, those surrounding him will hear your message, too. It goes back to P2P, or Person to Person, vs B2B or B2C – we purchase from individuals we know, like and trust. This relationship necessitates that we first identify who they are through the use of psychographics so they can truly be found – just like Waldo!
Keep it targeted.
