Have you ever just gotten something SO WRONG that all you can do is laugh?
I have. This week, in fact.
If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll know that we’ve been on vacation for the last two weeks. You’ll also know that while we traveled through the Western states, something special arrived at our farm.
Two pot-bellied pigs.
If you’ve ever seen a pot-bellied pig, you know that they’re really something. And by something, I mean they’re so ugly they’re cute.
These two have it all going on – the smooshy snouts, the hanging bellies, the wiry, bristly hair. And the willingness to eat anything and everything you offer them.
So, of course, we gave them names befitting their appearance. They look like big, bad piggos, so we named them after some big, bad personalities – Hambo and Chunk Norris.
I love it. I’m still laughing at “Chunk Norris”. It’s definitely the pinnacle of my pet naming career. Or so I thought …
A Shocking Discovery
And here’s where it all went wrong. Last night a friend of ours stopped by and asked us a question that stopped me in my tracks.
“So are you going to breed your pigs?” he asked.
“What do you mean? Wait – are they GIRLS?” my husband replied.
Yep. The “minor” detail we had neglected to verify was that Hambo and Chunk Norris are, in fact, female pigs.
I was instantly horrified. We gave our girl pigs boy names! What is the world coming to!?!
Getting Your Audience Right
Of course, Hambo (Hambina?) and Chunk (Chunkita?) Norris could care less. They get back scratches and leftover spaghetti. They’re living their best lives.
It’s not quite the same when it comes to digital marketing and your human audience. Get the target audience wrong, and you’ll know it. How? Well, either the campaigns won’t convert, or you’ll get backlash from the audience you are targeting. Probably both.
Target market research is SO important. It’s more important than just about anything else in marketing, especially when it comes to writing sales copy that converts. If your client doesn’t know who needs their products and services …
… and I mean KNOW know, as in who they are, what they do, and what their needs, desires, and pain points are …
Then they don’t really have an offer – not one that will sell anyway – and you will have a really hard time getting results for them, no matter how good your sales copy is.
Your clients’ products and services exist for someone else, and that someone else will not buy them if they don’t feel your clients understand and relate to them. And the only way you can communicate well with someone else’s target audience is if you put in the time and energy on target market research.
Getting the Job Done
Target market research is a necessary step, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. I do it over and over again for my clients, and I’ve broken it down into a step-by-step process that’s easy to follow, yet very effective.
Want to see it? I have a FREE downloadable cheat sheet that will help you dial in on exactly who your clients’ target markets are so you can serve them well and write sales copy that’s specific to them.
Not Hambo and Chunk Norris.
Click here to download the FREE guide now.