Searching for a hotel for a short break with my teenage daughter I realised that my needs as a mother and daughter are entirely different to my previous experiences as a family, a couple a group of girlfriends or a business traveller.
I skipped straight past all the ‘grand’, ‘luxurious’ ‘impressive’ as I didn’t want somewhere we would feel overwhelmed or out of place in. Dark, lavish interiors were out. So were large, sprawling restaurants and conference facilities. Simple, modern décor with a bright and airy feel to appeal to teenage tastes were key. We wanted slightly different things – I wanted things to look at and see, daughter wanted to ‘chill’. We both wanted sunshine, and prefer a pool to the beach, so a city location with a rooftop pool was ideal. A chic café would be nice. Somewhere we can both hang out and feel at home.
If it was a romantic break, or even a grown up girls weekend, we may want somewhere more opulent but not this time.
I eventually found it – simple, stylish, and in a good location for a young, hip visitor … my daughter obviously! The website highlighted (with fabulous enticing images) how near it was to the key features of the city that would appeal. The funky architecture, trendy cafes, cool beach area with the appropriate use of language and imagery helped me make my decision.
The marketing lesson?
Firstly, your customers may wear different hats at different times, so their needs may vary.
Bearing that in mind, decide who your FAVOURITE customer would be, and market your product or service accordingly.
- Which features of your product or service will appeal to them most?
- Why?
- What will it do for them?
- What problems are they trying to solve?
- What outcomes do they want?
- What sort of language is appropriate for them?
- How do you want them to feel about you/your business?
- Choose relevant images and typography
Don’t worry about what you’re missing out on. You’re not ruling others out, you are simply focusing your efforts on your BEST OPTION.
If you have several different favourite customers, run different campaigns for each of them, but remember, the more complicated you make it, the more difficult it is for your customers to ‘get it’.
Your website and main marketing materials should really focus on one set of criteria.