They say that perception is reality, but often the two just don’t match. We’re then left scratching our heads and asking, “Where did our content marketing campaign go wrong?” How you identify your target audience persona is a key ingredient to achieving success.
“To make an effective message, you need to know your audience — that’s the golden rule of communication,” according to Forbes. Knowing the reality of your audience can create a robust and satisfying campaign. No one wants weak or watered down results.
Like choosing the coffee beans that are right for you, defining your audience is the first step in planning your strategic roadmap. Without this step, you’ll never create the perfect blend of messaging and targeting that will earn you a gold star from the boss.
Recently, I came across a major social media brand that seems to have a distorted perception of their audience. While scrolling through my Instagram feed, looking at photos of mouth-watering food and heart-tugging family moments, I saw an ad for Pinterest for Business.
The ad is part of Pinterest’s campaign to boost awareness around their millennial users. It featured a mountainous, male hipster stock image with copy saying, “1 in 2 millennials are actively considering what to buy next on Pinterest.” Quickly, I realized that something here seems like a disconnect.
According to London based digital marketing agency Omnicore Group, 81 percent of Pinterest users are female, and men account for only 7 percent of total pins on the platform. The real kicker is that the median user age is 40. However, most active pinners are below 40.
I found myself scratching my head, and asking, “Where has this content marketing campaign gone wrong?”
Is Pinterest’s perception of their users rooted in reality? I would have to say no. Based on these demographics, I don’t see how they could be pitching their platform while being represented by a young man who openly yearns to live a rugged lifestyle in America’s northwest.
It seems like Pinterest should rethink their audience persona. They should create an effective campaign using hard data to qualify and define its core users. But maybe, I’m the one missing something here. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
“Understanding your audience is the biggest key to a successful campaign; more so today than ever before,” according to Search Engine Journal. “Developing audience segments without clear focus or strategy can lead to mismatched audience data and irrelevant content, leading consumers to tune out.”
Before pouring that cup of coffee, make sure you’ve identified the right ingredients. Therefore, confirm that you have built a campaign around real data and not your perceptions.
Brewing up a content marketing campaign based in accuracy will achieve higher quality results. This also leads to a better return on your hard earned dollars.
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