So, last week, I tried convincing you that you can’t talk to everyone. On the off chance that you haven’t checked the last blog post yet, I will love for you to think hard about the best brands you know, and with a little research, you will discover that what all of them have in common is that they have perfectly positioned to fit into their target consumers life. The product, the marketing, the communication is all perfectly synced to the lifestyle of the target consumer. In other words, they are hyperfocused on their target. Hence today we will dwell on what the role focus plays in our communication.
Focus, is honestly the only good reason you shouldn’t try to reach everyone. Numerous Studies have shown that human beings are more productive when they are focused. All notable leaders, people who did amazing things were known for being hyper-focused. They told a singular message, from Martin Luther King Jnr to Dalai Lama, to Mahatma Gandhi even Jesus Christ. We all know them for the message they stood for, for the ideals they preached, lived and ultimately died for.
How successful were they? Apparently so successful, that you can’t talk about their respective fields, without quoting, or at the very least talk about them. It is the same for being focused on your communication within your brand communication. With focus, every other thing falls into place. So how do you focus your communication?
Brand communications can be likened to war, and success in war comes from great strategy. Like I said earlier, know your target, how they think, what they do, and the things that pique their interest. The thoughts and beliefs that could affect your brand either positively or negatively. Tap into their psyche. Be creepy like that.
Sun Tzu, in the acclaimed strategy book The Art of War, said, “know thyself, know thy enemies. A thousand battles, a thousand victories”
Don’t talk to anyone else. Don’t see other people. Communicate only with your target. The beauty of this is multifaceted.
The beauty of hyper-focused communication is that it also has a funny way of attracting people outside your target audience. However, that brings with it its own set of problems, “what if this secondary audience suddenly dislikes your latest advert or product. Knowing your target audience makes it easier to know how to respond to issues like this.
Focus enables your budget to go farther. It multiplies the effectiveness of your campaign while ultimately saving money.
Your target feels a sense of belonging. They feel that your communication is talking to them personally (and it is). This gives your brand an emotional appeal (which you want to have).
A voice or persona is the tone of your brand, it could be inspirational like Nike. It is a strategy for having the most appeal to your target consumers, and like all things that are focused, it must be consistent.
Ultimately, Focus leads to mastery, mastery leads to victory. You can’t talk to everybody, but that is not a bad thing. It isn’t bad at all.
PS: feel free to leave comments, and keep the conversation going