The Audience of One

The best part of Social Media Marketing is that less really IS more. Whenever your plans get too ambitious, too grand, too eloquent or too elegant, step back and remember just who you’re supposed to be targeting. Never allow yourself to stray from “the audience of one.”

It’s difficult to conjure up personal, unique, relevant, authentic images of your demographic, baseline, affiliate, or end-user. So don’t. Pick one person from that targeted group and focus all your energy on him or her. Maybe it’s a picture of your grandmother, or the harried businesswoman you sit next to at church every weekend, or the kid who mows your lawn, or your spouse, or her brother, or just the guy you stood behind in line at the coffee shop this morning.

Whoever you’re aiming at, make this person the sole focus of your targeting efforts. Don’t just envy those profilers you watch on TV every night, become one; compile a living profile of your audience of one. What are their habits? What are their hobbies? Where do they shop? What makes them feel comfortable, happy, safe and loved?

This is truly an audience of one, and while you may think that this is too simplistic a formula to work for you, try this little quiz and you’ll soon see it’s anything but. Below, I list some brand names of people, places, and things. As you read the following list, close your eyes and picture their unique audience of one.

•    Tony Hawk
•    Tony Bennett
•    Disney World
•    The Dallas Cowboys
•    JetBlue
•    The Black Eyed Peas
•    iPod

How’d you do? Could you picture who might buy Tony Hawk’s latest video game? What might a Dallas Cowboys fan look like? Slide a Tony Bennett CD into any sound system and who might respond favorably? What does the typical Black Eyed Peas listener wear to go out dancing at the clubs? Who is choosing to travel on JetBlue?

Maybe the world is not quite as familiar with your brand as they are the above super-brands, but at least one person should be: YOU. If you can’t define your audience of one, how will your audience ever know they’re the one? Don’t worry; The Bull’s Eye Effect will help you define the audience of one.
But first you have to Find Your Target.
Fortunately, that’s our very first step…

TRY THIS…

Flip through a magazine or watch television commercials. Make a note of the product and the message for five different ads. Then write down a description of the intended “audience of one” based on this information.