Miranda Paquet
Have you ever come across a business that really seems to understand you?
They not only have the products or services you’re looking for, but they also have something else that makes you walk away feeling like, “Wow! This business really gets me.”
This is an example of a WOW! moment and is often the first step to building a customer relationship that brings long-term benefits to your business.
Providing that type of experience starts with being able to connect with customers in a more personal way.
One-size-fits-all marketing doesn’t work. Instead, you need to be able to get the right message in front of the right people at the right time.
It’s not always easy — especially when you’re communicating with a variety of audiences across a number of different channels. But there are steps you can take to communicate with your audience the right way and make the WOW! impression you’re looking for.
Let’s look at some easy ways you can effectively reach your multiple different audiences:
Email: Segment your email list
Email marketing is one of the most effective channels for communicating with different audiences.
Rather than sending one broad message to your entire email list, you have the ability to segment your audience into different email lists and create email campaigns that are specific to them. For example, a yoga studio could segment their list and send different emails based on the types of classes and events they offer.
One of the easiest ways to segment your email list is to ask your contacts about their interests right when they sign up. In addition to asking for contact information, give them the option to check off their interests and establish what kind of updates they would like to receive from you.
In addition to interest, another great way to segment your list is by behavior. Use the reports from your previous email campaigns to better focus your next message.
Your click-through reports will tell you who is engaging with your emails and which content they are most interested in. If you’re consistently seeing a group of people clicking on links for a specific product or service but they haven’t made a purchase, you could create a special offer and encourage them to take action.
Or set up an email series to teach them about the different services you offer with a tool like Autoresponder.
Website: Provide a focused message for new visitors
While your email list will include people that you already have preexisting relationships with, your website is a probably a place where you’re mostly communicating with people who are new to your business.
This can make it difficult to figure out who your target audience is.
If you’re having trouble deciding how to position your business and all your different offerings, I suggest making a quick chart of all your different audiences and the challenges they are trying to solve. Then, look for areas for overlap — what do these people have in common and how can your business help?
Imagine you own a catering business and offer services for a wide range of occasions. While the people interested in these services may be very different, there are some areas where their needs and interests will overlap. For example, regardless of the service they are looking for, they’ll be looking for someone who is credible and has some expertise.
Include a strong mission statement on your website homepage, letting people know what your business is all about. You can show how you’ve helped customers in the past with customer testimonials. By telling a specific customer story, you’re empowering similar audiences to clearly envision how you can help them too.
When considering which customer stories to share, try to emphasize the range of people you have helped. If you’re running a catering business, you might want to provide a testimonial from a larger occasion like a rehearsal dinner, a medium-sized event like a corporate boxed-lunch special, and then a small private gathering.
With just those three testimonials, you’re showing audience members with different needs and budgets that your business can be a great fit.
Social: Share a mix of quality content
Social media will have one of your most diverse audiences — ranging from your biggest fans who liked your Page to stay up-to-date with your latest information, to completely new customers who found you on social media with hopes of learning more about what you have to offer.
Keep in mind that not everyone will be interested in every update you share. This is especially true on a high volume network like Twitter where people are seeing a constant flow of updates.
That being said, you should look to narrow in on a target audience as much as possible.
At Constant Contact, our audience spans a huge variety of industries, but two of the groups we talk to a lot are: small business and nonprofit marketers.
On our social media channels, we focus on the information we know both businesses will be interested in: online marketing advice. But we also offer supporting content to appeal to small businesses or nonprofits more specifically.
If you believe in yourself and your #smallbusiness, others will come to believe in you. pic.twitter.com/37gWpCalDZ
— Constant Contact (@ConstantContact) February 4, 2015
Using Facebook For Your #Nonprofit in a “Bighearted” Way: http://t.co/I4cH1NbcxD via @PostPlanner
— Constant Contact (@ConstantContact) February 3, 2015
Although not everything we post relates to every member of our audience, this type of variety makes our content interesting and shows we are tuned in to both audiences.
Now you’re talking!
As you work to appeal to your different target audiences, you still want to ensure that your business’s brand is consistent and easily recognizable. This means you’ll be working with the same logo and color scheme for all your communications — no matter what the specific topic is.
Try incorporating these ideas into your own marketing and see if you notice an increase in engagement.
By treating your audience as individuals, while still promoting your business as a singular entity, you’ll quickly build trust within your audience and generate more business.
Were there any ideas we missed? If your business has any additional tips for speaking to multiple target audiences, please share them with us in the comments!
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