Connecting with your target market is the second step in a great marketing campaign. The first obviously is knowing your target market, and your customer avatar. In this post my goal is to talk about the four best ways to connect with your target market. In another post we can go into detail on the best ways to identify and find your customer avatar.
STORIES –
People will remember a story far longer than facts because we are emotional beings and a good story will relate more and deeper if it is told to the right audience.
There is a lot of information about how to tell a good story that you can find online. One place that keeps the process simple is theartofcharm.com. They posted an article that helped me narrow down the four areas of good storytelling here.
Inject emotion into your stories
Know your narrative
Create rapport
Practice what you preach
For more details please visit thier article at theartofcharm.com.
NARRATIVES –
Putting a story together in order can mean the difference between quality or crap. A story that is in a logical sequence of events is easier to understand. So by crafting your message with a timeline or purpose (more specifically a call to action or lesson) the reaction will result in a more clear and concise result.
Examples of good narratives can be found at this website. literarydevices.net.
POSITION –
Knowing what point of view your audience has helps when you are looking for a reaction. Telling your story using the language of your audience makes a big difference. Especially when the story is short or you have a limited outlet such as just a picture or a few words to express your message.
A few years back a savy marketer named Graeme Newell revealed seven story plots that can change a brand from an impersonal pitch to a transcendent human drama. Feel free to watch this short video to get a better idea and examples of how to position better.
PURPOSE –
Stephen Covey coined the phrase “keep the end in mind” many years ago. When the result of your story is clearly defined you will be able to craft the story around the result. This is critical in marketing because it helps to set expectations subconsciously and prepare themselves to make a choice and react to your call to action.
A great example of a company that is built around defining their purpose upfront consistently is HSN. This company is pitching products 24 hours a day. If you watch the video below you can see this how they are focused on the end result of the story they are telling. There is a fine line between begging and asking. Look for this if you decide to watch the live feed below.