Determining a well-defined target market is the first step towards a successful marketing strategy. Ask yourself who is already interested in your product or service – as well as who might be – and you can attempt to address their needs (as well as reach your clearly defined marketing objectives) with specific content marketing.
For instance, this article’s target audiences are:
1. Marketing Enthusiasts
2. Content Providers
3. Web Developers
Each of these audiences will be looking for a different thing from this piece. A marketing enthusiast might have searched ‘effectively targeting different audiences’, content providers might have tried ‘how to use content marketing’ and web developers/tech experts perhaps went looking for some combination of the two, such as ‘different types of content marketing.’
The point is, each of these groups is looking for, or drawn to, something different. Whether actual content or simply the way in which that content is presented – different things appeal to different audiences, so it’s essential to understand and cater to these preferences.
Using the above mentioned target audiences as examples, here’s a quick guide on how to use differentiated content (and content forms) to raise awareness, build trust and make sales.
Marketing Enthusiasts
A marketer’s main objectives are making a product known, understood and desired by its target market. They are likely to search for resources and tools that can help them do this. Examples of content that will cater to this need include:
1. ‘How-to’ guides and useful articles or blog posts
2. Webinars, podcasts, tutorials and demo videos
3. Marketing trend reports and whitepapers
4. Features guides (that show them how your product or service can help them achieve their goals)
Content Providers
A content provider’s goal is to create (and sell) high quality web content. This content could be written, visual or audio. As creatives they are likely to be looking for inspiration and ideas, mental stimulation that could serve as a springboard towards developing their own unique content (especially when suffering from a creative block). Examples of content that will be useful to them are:
1. Collations of inspirational examples (top ten lists, showcases and picture galleries etc.)
2. Interviews with industry pioneers
3. Viral videos, images or infographics
4. Relevant industry blogs, news and critiques
Web Developers / Tech Experts
Tech devotees can be subdivided into further target audiences, but for the purpose of this article, some technical goals might be creating custom websites; sourcing useful hardware, software and apps; as well as searching for a little inspiration. They might be looking for data-driven content that is direct and to the point. Examples of content that would be useful to them are:
1. Webinars, tutorials or demo videos
2. Reviews of useful tools, products or services
3. Case studies and customer testimonials
4. Pricing guides
All of these forms of content resonate particularly with certain kinds of target audience, and each can be adapted to enhance your business’ online presence. They are by no means exclusively suited to the specified audience types, but based on their mindset (discoverable with market research) they may prove more valuable, which is what creating good, sharable content is all about.
Targeting content is just one element of a comprehensive content marketing strategy, which you should develop in order to start seeing measurable benefits for your business.
Content marketing is already huge, and it’s growing. It can be an inexpensive way to generate sales, leads, and customers and help you beat your competitors.
If you’ve not jumped on the bandwagon yet, now is the time to do so.
Julianne Staino writes about marketing trends, technology, and Nuxeo– a company specializing in helping you manage your content and digital assets.