Don’t hate me – I love Twilight. Plus, they are a good example to use in terms of effective marketing. To read my first article about their use of social media, please visit here.
This article will talk about two things –
- Knowing who your audience is
- Finding out what they want
Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are subjective, so there are no magic answers, but hear me out because I have a couple of examples. First with Twilight, then with photography.
Know Who Your Audience Is
Jimmy Fallon said (not in the exact words) something very funny about Twilight.
Stephanie Meyer (author of Twilight Saga) is appearing on Oprah. Anyone who’s heard of Twilight will be in school and anyone watching Oprah will have no clue what it is.
Fallon was obviously trying to be facetious because Meyer’s reach is far more vast. In any event, knowing one’s target audience is very important.
Twilight International Covers
To expand further on this, please review the myriad covers that Meyer utilized to cater for her international customers. Different audiences have different wants, thus different book covers to appease them. To see all of them, please visit Meyer‘s website.
Germany
Denmark
Netherlands
Czech Republic
China
Japan
Korea
Thailand
Russia
Norway
Findland
Indonesia
Who Are Your Customers?
I can go on about Twilight forever, but I’d rather see how it can be applied to your business. This is your homework (or classwork). Ask yourselves these questions…seriously.
If your ideal customer was sitting in front of you right now, describe him or her extensively. Start with questions like:
- What gender?
- What clothing will your client wear?
- What is the average income – to determine social / economic status?
- What is it that your customers fear most?
- What is it that your customers want most?
Once you determine who your customer is, you will know how you can effectively market to them.
Therefore, before you decide to just put up balloons or colorful things on your business cards, blog, website, etc., plan ahead. If you want all Star Wars brides, well, make sure they feel like you are a Star Wars type of photographer.
Sincerely,
Lawrence Chan
P.S. I travel a lot. Personally, I’m not a fan of the traveling part, but a fan of the destination part. If there was a transportation machine, would you gamble the chance of breaking your body down into a gazillion molecules and teleporting it to a very far place and reconstructing yourself? Sounds like a horror movie with that fly monster. Frightening…
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I love this, this is so true, I tend to limit myself and think people dont want to pay but my target audience is out there just need to establish who they are and they will come!
I love this, this is so true, I tend to limit myself and think people dont want to pay but my target audience is out there just need to establish who they are and they will come!
So true Ive been told by clients we want you because of your style your edgy photographs so therefore I really think we have to set ourselves aside from the others in the game!
This is true and encouraging! I actually stopped and had to think about this, thanks for the challenge.
This is true and encouraging! I actually stopped and had to think about this, thanks for the challenge.
Great post… we’re in the process of rebranding our wedding photography to more accurately reach brides who match our style.
So much to consider!
Great post… we’re in the process of rebranding our wedding photography to more accurately reach brides who match our style.
So much to consider!
thanks Lawrence. How is it that you always seem to know just what i need? This is just the stuff i need to be thinking about. Looking forward to you messing with my brain a bit further in the next posts. Off to do my homework! We’re looking at who our target market is and these questions help to start pinpointing that target.
thanks Lawrence. How is it that you always seem to know just what i need? This is just the stuff i need to be thinking about. Looking forward to you messing with my brain a bit further in the next posts. Off to do my homework! We’re looking at who our target market is and these questions help to start pinpointing that target.
I would LOVE to be transported. It would be soooo much better than sitting in traffic when I need to be somewhere else. :)
I would LOVE to be transported. It would be soooo much better than sitting in traffic when I need to be somewhere else. :)
Brilliant….
Brilliant….
Thank you for sharing. I’m very new to this and I have A LOT to learn. :-)
By the way, I love Twilight too. I downloaded all the books to my iphone and brought them with me to the Bahamas cruise. Definitely saved me from boredom during the cruise.
Thank you for sharing. I’m very new to this and I have A LOT to learn. :-)
By the way, I love Twilight too. I downloaded all the books to my iphone and brought them with me to the Bahamas cruise. Definitely saved me from boredom during the cruise.
Lawrence,
You’re pretty much a twilight nerd! It is official! LOL! You know what I love about you, besides your genius insight into the crazy world of SEO, is you ability to turn anything into a marketing strategy. It is so clever an insightful to read your blog. You have inspired me to think outside the box.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Tonya
P.S. I am kicking some major butt on SEO. I have had some inquires and my PR went up! No wedding inquires yet but I am still working on it. I am trying to do what you did for Cancun and Jamaica but no luck yet. I will be patient and continue to work at it! You are awesome!
Lawrence,
You’re pretty much a twilight nerd! It is official! LOL! You know what I love about you, besides your genius insight into the crazy world of SEO, is you ability to turn anything into a marketing strategy. It is so clever an insightful to read your blog. You have inspired me to think outside the box.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Tonya
P.S. I am kicking some major butt on SEO. I have had some inquires and my PR went up! No wedding inquires yet but I am still working on it. I am trying to do what you did for Cancun and Jamaica but no luck yet. I will be patient and continue to work at it! You are awesome!
Always love what you have to say. Very insightful! Thank you always
Always love what you have to say. Very insightful! Thank you always
Thanks for the insight Lawrence. Helps me to calibrate what my true image should project to potential clients. Not just glitter and glam, but substance and seeking ways to connect that audience with my product. The questions you pose will help to better label and market our studio’s brand.
Oh yeah, and I grew up watching Star Trek (classic first generation). I was convinced that transporters would be an everyday part of life by now. Ha! We can’t even get away from gasoline – let alone interstellar travel via warp drives!
Much thanks (as always).
Curtis
Thanks for the insight Lawrence. Helps me to calibrate what my true image should project to potential clients. Not just glitter and glam, but substance and seeking ways to connect that audience with my product. The questions you pose will help to better label and market our studio’s brand.
Oh yeah, and I grew up watching Star Trek (classic first generation). I was convinced that transporters would be an everyday part of life by now. Ha! We can’t even get away from gasoline – let alone interstellar travel via warp drives!
Much thanks (as always).
Curtis
Fascinating differences in the covers. I wonder though what kind of markets they are truly aiming to reflect. It doesn’t seem obvious.
Agree with you there on the disassembling and reassembling of my molecules. Too much can go wrong there.
Fascinating differences in the covers. I wonder though what kind of markets they are truly aiming to reflect. It doesn’t seem obvious.
Agree with you there on the disassembling and reassembling of my molecules. Too much can go wrong there.