10 Questions You Should Ask About Your Audience
By Jonathan Kranz
I’ve often said that the most important work a copywriter can do is completed BEFORE the first word is committed to paper. The work: immersing ourselves in our client’s business, marketplace, products, services and most importantly, in the audience (or target market) itself. If you don’t know your audience, you simply cannot connect to it.
Before you begin your next project, be sure you know the answers to the following questions about the people you’re writing to:
1) What do they want? Is it to be youthful? Sexy? Rich? To become a proud parent or a successful banker? To find new chrome hubs for their sports cars or a practical way to eliminate crabgrass?
2) What do they fear? Loneliness? Humiliation? Personal rejection at the sports club or professional failure in the boardroom? Are they afraid of losing money? Looking foolish? Being disappointed?
3) Which matters more – saving money or saving time? Too often we assume that price is the ultimate criterion. But in many markets (especially the lucrative ones), potential customers have plenty of money but precious little time. Be sure you’re addressing the true need.
4) What do they value? Is it family or individual freedom? A rock-hard body or a sensual meal? What are the relevant political convictions, personal beliefs, religious creeds, lifestyles qualities, etc. that inform the way they see the world?
5) What do they trust? Is it hard numbers and empirical evidence? Or the opinions of friends and neighbors? Do they respect authority figures or rebels? Fox News or the Comedy Channel?
6) What do they read? Business magazines or supermarket tabloids? Which ones? Printed matter or web content, such as blogs (and which ones)? If they do read print, do they read papers, magazines and/or books?
7) How do they spend their leisure time? This could be a big clue to their values, beliefs and lifestyles. Are they active outdoor types or coach potatoes? Video game players or museum visitors? Any hobbies? If they like sports, are they spectators or participants? Do they volunteer – and for what?
8) Who do they answer to? Are they beholden to a spouse? A boss? Stockholders? What do they need to do to please them or maintain their good graces?
9) What makes them stay awake at night? Fear of child predators? A spike in oil prices? Failure to get that package out in time? The disapproval of the folks across the street?
10) What motivates them to get out of bed in the morning? Another way of looking at values, but with an eye on triggers – the things that motivate action. Is it the pursuit of romantic love? Professional success? Creative ambition? Or sheer habit? What gets these people to move?
These are just a start; I’m sure you can think of many more relevant and significant questions to ask. But notice I didn’t ask about sex (as in male vs. female), sexual orientation, income, age, class or race. Too often these demographic buckets lead us into glib assumptions rather than keen insights. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of your customer (and a competitive advantage) when look beneath the skin to gain an empathetic feel for your prospects’ inner landscapes.
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Kranz Communications
(781) 620-1154
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