In today’s episode we’re talking about tailoring your message to your audience. Understanding how much your audience already knows about what you do and using the words they do to describe your offering helps your message reach the right people. When your message resonates, they are more likely to take action.
Links in this episode: When Pitching an Idea, Should You Focus on “Why” or “How”?
Transcript
Welcome to the Get Digital Marketing Results podcast where we give you information and actionable tips to grow your organization.
Bob: Hi, I’m Bob Clark.
Donna: And I’m Donna Botti. We’re with Delos Inc and we make the web work for you. In today’s Tech News Tuesday episode we’re talking about tailoring your message to your audience.
Bob: Yes Donna, and one of the things we often see is that while you are an expert in your field, often your audience is not. Be careful about the words that you are using in your messaging. How you and your industry think about your business is often very different from how your customers describe what you do.
Donna: In general, don’t think about features of your product or service, but why someone would buy from you and what they are looking for. It’s so important that you consider who your audience is.
Bob: That’s not to say that your audience might not know anything about what you do. There may be two types of people who are looking at your content. Those who are novices about what you do, and those who are more expert in what you provide.
Donna: In that case there are two approaches to use when speaking to those potential customers. We came across an article in Harvard Business Review where they tested two popular approaches to framing your message – why someone should do it, and how you do it. What they found makes sense when you think about it.
When you’re dealing with someone who doesn’t know much about your industry, focus on the why. Why would they want to use your product or service and do business with you, in other words, what outcomes will they get.
Bob: If on the other hand your audience is more expert in your field, focus more on how you do it. Experts are more likely to respond about how something can be done, as they already understand why.
So think about who your ideal customer is. What are the questions they ask you and the things they are concerned with? Are these the same things that are front and center in your messaging?
Donna: So the actionable tip we have for you today is take out a piece of paper or get out your whiteboard and write down the questions that people have and ask you all the time. Then take a look at your website, especially the homepage. Are you addressing these questions and using the words that your audience uses to describe what they’re looking for?
If so, you are doing great! If not, get it updated. It doesn’t have to be perfect right now, but every step you take to getting your message clearer for your intended audience builds traction to getting results.
Bob: That’s it for today’s episode. You can find a link to the article on this topic and a transcript of today’s podcast, at DelosInc.com/213.
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