Putting the Persona in Persona-Based Marketing
If you want to understand your audience, identify their pain points and win them over, persona-based marketing is critically important. Know Your Customer — it’s the First Commandment of Marketing. It’s also the reason why persona-based marketing is so critically important for modern brands. Without identifying who your customers are, you can’t understand what motivates them, identify their pain points and connect with them. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at why persona-based marketing is a powerful tool for advertisers, marketers and brands. Putting the persona in persona-based marketing So how do brands get their feet wet in persona-based marketing? First, it’s necessary to create detailed profiles of your potential buyers. These buyer personas then serve as the core of your targeted marketing strategy; they are idealized representations of the audience most likely to purchase your products and services. A buyer persona is a comprehensive image of a customer that reflects who they are, what motivates them and their propensity to act through each stage of the sales cycle. Some businesses will only need to develop two or three personas, others may be better served by a dozen or more. These personas are based on a variety of sources, including: Market research into probable buyers, including surveys and in-person interviews. This research provides a fuller picture of the wants, needs and tendencies of a brand’s likely market. Insights and feedback gleaned from existing customers. The same research process can be applied to a brand’s current client set, and this process often provides unique insights, given that these audiences are already familiar with the products or services on offer. Brands also often work with their in-house sales team to learn more about existing and potential customers. Sourced and analyzed consumer data. Customers often say they want one thing, then go buy another. Our words and intentions don’t always reflect our actions, and objective data can help provide another window into what truly moves buyers. Broader market, industry and demographic information. This data can provide critical context during the brand persona creation process. Such information allows brands to take a wider angle view, and anticipate looming changes within markets and industries. If you can anticipate these changes, you can also anticipate how customers may be affected. Buyer persona categorization Brands developing persona-based marketing strategies should also understand that different classes of buyers require varying approaches. For example, when dealing with individual buyers (someone who makes a one-time retail purchase, for example), you’d create a single persona type with a variety of personas to fit within that type. A persona development agency can help you accomplish this task. B2B operations, however, are often led by sales teams rather than a single buyer. C suite executives, sales leaders, marketing leaders etc. may all be involved in the procurement/sales process. In such cases, brands create team-based personas. These often include a dedicated persona for each member of the purchasing team — personas that outline the specific prerogatives inherent to each position. For example, a team persona designed for a Chief Financial Officer would focus on pricing issues, ROI and other monetary motivators. Working with the right persona development agency Buyer persona development, when done at a high level, requires research expertise, industry knowledge and an advanced grasp of marketing strategy. It’s often a tall order for brands to accomplish this without outside help. At Bigeye, we’re experts at creating finely targeted buyer personas supported by experience and insight. Contact us today to learn more about what the right agency can do for you.
Frequently Asked Questions on Brand Messaging
Brand messaging is critical to the health of your business. Here’s a closer look at some of the most commonly asked questions about the subject. Every business owner wants to build deep, long-lasting relationships with customers. Brand messaging is the mechanism by which this is accomplished. Every communication an enterprise engages in should be done with proper brand messaging in mind. When done right, it inspires, informs, persuades and catalyzes audiences. When done poorly, it can do serious reputational harm. Now that we’ve understood the stakes involved, let’s take a closer look at some of the most common questions business owners have about brand messaging. Brand Messaging FAQ 1. I’m a brand messaging neophyte — can you explain what it means in two sentences? Sure. Brand messaging is the language, voice, tone, and ideas that a business uses to convey its core value proposition and company values. 2. Can you give me an example? Absolutely. The classic Nike slogan “Just Do It” is a famous example of potent brand messaging. It distills the company’s ethos into three unforgettable words. 3. What are the qualities that make brand messaging effective? The same qualities that make interpersonal communication effective, for the most part. Great brand messaging resonates with audiences and builds a connection. It inspires, catalyzes audiences into action and engenders a sense of personal identification with the brand. It’s how lifestyle brands are created and lifelong customers are made. 4. What happens when brand messaging goes wide of the mark? If you’re lucky, audiences simply won’t respond to it. In situations where brands badly misjudge their voice or misunderstand their audience, poor brand messaging can alienate people, anger them, and turn them into another brand’s loyal customers. 5. So how does one create effective brand messaging? Here’s where things get a bit more challenging. First, brands need to identify and segment their audience. If you don’t know who you’re selling to, you’re just throwing darts in the dark. Do research, identify your audience, and query them. What motivates them? What matters to them? How do they engage with brands? By understanding the answers to these questions, brands can then draw a line between their customers’ motivations and their own products and services, their values, and their unique value proposition. 6. What else is important? One word: Differentiation. When you’re developing a brand messaging strategy, it’s natural to review what your competitors are doing. After all, you’re targeting the same audience, so there should be some overlap between your messaging strategy. That said, it’s critical to differentiate your product or service. Sometimes you can accomplish this through features or innovations, but in many industries, it’s the branding itself that is the primary differentiator. So while you want your messaging to be informed by what your competitors are doing, you don’t want to follow what they are doing. Develop your own unique, differentiated voice and message. 7. Any other tips? Yes. Consumers are inundated by advertising and marketing messages, so it’s important to develop language and themes that stand out. Seek to be compelling and memorable, rather than aiming for a bland, middle of the road voice designed to appeal to the broadest possible demographic. It’s also critically important to be clear and concise — audiences will disengage immediately if you’re sending confusing messages. Place the audience at the center of the story and explain to them exactly what your brand can do for them. Make sure that your messaging comes through in every bit of content or communication you author, and always ensure your brand speaks in a unified and consistent voice. Finding the Right Brand Messaging Agency At BIGEYE, we’re experts when it comes to resonant brand messaging. Whether you’re looking for an innovative approach to brand video or new, tech-forward ways to reach your desired audiences, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about what a sophisticated brand messaging strategy can do for your firm.
3 Questions to Ask When Creating Brand Preference in Moms
For marketers who are aimed at creating brand preference in moms, it is useful to take a look at the brand itself. You want to attract the right types of moms for the brand, as attracting the wrong type can lead to dilution of brand value. Look at what your brand has to offer the mom market, and then embellish those qualities that allow it to stand out amongst competitors by asking a few key questions: 1. Is our brand memorable? Though the brand doesn’t necessarily need to be in a mom’s face at all times, she does need exposure to the brand and needs ways to be able to find it when needed. In this era, being able to find the brand means that she can find it in the store, using Google, on Amazon, or social media sites.[quote]The harder it is to instill the brand into one’s memory, the harder it will be for brands to generate loyalty in their targets.[/quote] In order to help make the brand memorable, it’s essential to go to the platforms where moms are sharing information with one another in order to leave a lasting impression. 2. Is our brand meaningful? Whether it’s enjoying a meal together at Olive Garden or walking through the mall in attention-getting Gucci shades, the brands that have positive impacts on the target’s lives are the ones that will succeed in creating preference. Without meaning, there’s no difference between buying Huggies and buying store brand diapers; but many moms are more apt to go for the Huggies because of their variety of facets, such as age-appropriate diapers, that help ease the frustrations of changing diapers. Huggies have made a connection point not only in their marketing, but also in their appeal to make the lives of women easier. 3. Is our brand likable? Brand marketers should work to ensure that their brands are in line with the desires of mothers. A brand with a tough edge can open up it’s market to the modern mom by softening up, portraying the brand as likeable and fun. The brand marketer should embellish the aspects of their products that make moms’ lives easier, more exciting and more fulfilled. A company that sells necessities for children can better reach moms by bundling items such as diapers and baby wipes. Also, with new developments in big data, it’s easy to monitor what your users are saying about your products on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media outlets. Make sure that you are listening to the conversation, engaging your audience and taking quick action to resolving any problems that may arise. To learn more about how you can market to moms in order to create brand preference and instill brand loyalty, contact our team today! We’ll share strategies for segmentation, creating appeals and assessing your own brand to determine the right moms for your business.
How to Market to Moms: Night Time is the Right Time
When the producers at Viacom did some market data on their viewers, they discovered an interesting insight. Moms would often put their children in front of the television to watch shows on Nickelodeon while they cooked, cleaned and did chores around the house, anytime between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. These mothers would then turn the TV off to put the kids to bed, returning sometime after 10 p.m. to sit in front of the television to relax for a moment, and to unwind from the day. And the first channel these moms saw when they turned on their TVs? It was Nickelodeon. Viacom’s leading executives got creative with this insight and recently launched an effort to connect to these moms through a 2-hour television slot that runs programming geared toward moms from 10 p.m. until midnight (7 p.m. until 9 p.m. PST). The idea was to capitalize on this routine action by introducing a brand targeted toward these moms during that time slot. The answer? NickMom. But more than just a block of programming, NickMom is also a community. Women who watch the programming in the evening can also incorporate elements of social television, Tweeting and Facebooking about their favorite shows and bringing the channel into their homes on multiple screens. One tiny insight led to an entire brand strategy overhaul at Viacom. The insight is a powerful one, too. Because of school schedules, soccer practices and piano lessons, plus work, many moms do not get to relax until the end of the day. Marketers can use insights such as this to help their own companies to reach out to moms as well. In many families, mom might sip a glass of wine to unwind as her family lay resting, sitting on the couch with her tablet in hand as she checks her email, messages friends on Facebook and browses on the online shops from her favorite retailers. In fact, in 2011, the New York Times published an entire article on the phenomenon of inebriated shopping. The article notes how companies like Gilt, Sacks, and QVC are capitalizing on the trend, noting spikes in sales around the evening hours, and also noting that the offers sent around these times generate results. Though the Times article doesn’t specifically limit the tipsy shopping trend to moms, it’s worth noting that the article mentions various types of companies that cater to the female, 18-35 age group. [quote] Are you a social savvy mom? Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest and Youtube. You name it, we got it! [/quote] Even for moms who do not drink alcohol, the evening is time to relax. Once dinner is served, dishes are washed and kids are asleep, people are happy, relaxed and ready to spend some time on themselves. And, in this era of mobile devices, sitting down watching television doesn’t mean you have to quit browsing the Internet – you can browse from your phone, pausing your program at any time to make sure you don’t miss anything. If you are trying to hone in on moms to help grow your business, perhaps it is worth experimenting with running an evening promotion, sending nighttime email blasts or posting on Facebook later in the evening, after work hours. If you can reach the mom when she is feeling social and relaxed, you are not only are more likely to inspire a spontaneous purchase, but also to form a positive association between the mom and your brand. Moms are a very particular target, and in many homes they hold the purchasing power to make decisions as to spending, budgeting and savings. To learn more about how you can market to moms in order to create brand preference and instill brand loyalty, check out our Florida marketing agency’s recent whitepaper on marketing to moms, which discusses strategies for segmentation, creating appeals and assessing your own brand to determine the right moms for your business.
