A is for Audience
I’d be willing to bet that you’re reading this post for one of the following reasons:
- You want to learn more about understanding your audience
- You want some tips on how to work more effectively with your design agency
- You want to appoint a design agency and you don’t know where to start
- You work for a design agency and you’re doing some sneaky research on your competitors!
The reason I know this is I understand our audience.
Understanding your audience and knowing who will see your communications is key to getting an effective message across. One of the many questions we ask when taking a new brief is ‘who is your audience?’ We need to know this so we can use our design skills to capture their attention.
Who are they?
Audience profiling is not just about demographics. It’s about putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and walking around in them for a while. What job do they have, what are their preferences, values and beliefs, what are their hobbies and interests? You interact with your audience every day so you know them best. Have a good think about your audience for each piece of communication before you meet with your agency.
Why does it matter?
One size does not fit all. Audience preferences can dictate colours, imagery, messaging, tone of voice, language, and format. For example, your average audience age can dictate the font size and language we use. Imagery is also critical. Communications should include images your audience can relate to. In fact, it’s proven that photographs of people 10 years younger than your target audience will resonate better. Mmm, I wonder why!
What do they want to know?
Once we have a good picture of the person we’re communicating with we can create messages and a design that really works. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in communications is telling your customers what you think they need to know. Consider what information your audience wants to know. This is the most effective way to get their attention and encourage them to engage with your product or service.
If you’d like some creative input to make your communications relevant and valuable to your audience, please give me a call or pop in to visit.
Jo, designer and owner
Call me on 01270 626624 or email me on jo@jg-creative.co.uk