What My Dogs Remind Me About Marketing (Daily!)
Are you inhaling information about your audience?
If you have a dog, and you walk the dog, I guarantee you will have seen this: they leave lots of messages.
Now, you might not think of these frequent pit stops as good reminders for how to be an effective communicator.
Instead you might be thinking (or muttering out loud):
How many times can you possibly need to stop?
You just did that!!
Do you have an invisible bladder somewhere?!
But here’s the learning/reminder part: they do intensive, extensive, nose-to-the-dirt-inhaling-grass kind of research BEFORE they leave each message. And if the data isn’t right, they don’t deliver the message.
I would love to know what they’re learning and what they’re saying in response, but whatever that flow of messages, the key point is: they do the data-gather first. No assumptions, no “this worked last time” check-the-box and move on (sadly, for me).
It must work, because the cycle goes on – sending/receiving, sending/receiving. In fact, if one of my dogs does the research and sends a message, the other dog will, too. We see this all the time in marketing: one new idea leads to a whole slew of imitators because when we see something working, we think – “Ah hah! They found the key to connecting with people!” (Think of the “Got Milk” campaign or the ALS Ice Bucket challenge.)
But of course the problem with imitating a campaign is that your audience is probably different than theirs. And without understanding your audience, your message can miss the mark.
On the “Smartless” podcast they were telling each other dad jokes (as they do). Even though I was only listening I could “see” the response when some fell flat. They’ve heard them all before, so it’s a tough crowd. I remember hearing John Cleese speak at Content Marketing World years ago. He mentioned how rarely anything made him laugh anymore, because humor depends on surprise. At his age, and in his profession, that’s pretty hard to do.
Why bring that up? Because it’s all about audience. Back to dad jokes. Try them on moms. You won’t get the same reaction. If you live with someone in another generation (your kids or your parents), you see this on a daily basis. How often do you say or hear: “You just don’t get it” or variations? (If you have a teenage boy, you probably get the blank “are-you-even-living-on-the-same-planet fixed stare.)
Now translate that to the business world. If you’re:
Sending out an appeal to raise money for a nonprofit
Creating a campaign for a new consulting service
Building a website landing page for a webinar
Do you understand your audience? Do you know:
What problem they’re trying to solve?
And do they know there’s a solution or are they just living with it (aka not actively looking for your wonderful solution)?
What they care about?
Saving time? Saving money? Being entertained? Making the world better? Getting an irritating project off their desk?
What resonates with them?
Do they like intricate explanations (doubtful)? Will humor work and if so, what kind? Do emojis make them smile or make them think you’re not serious (bad)? Will they notice if you use stock photography? (Yes, I will.)
And this is just a light sampling of the many factors to consider. If your audience is human, they’re tricky.
The key is: be like a dog and do your research first. It doesn’t have to be exhaustive; it can be simple. If you have clients or donors or volunteers, talk to them about their “why,” spend time with them. Listen to what they talk about and see what they do.
Knowing your audience sounds about as breakthrough as putting red sauce on pizza — revolutionary at one point, but so basic that it’s now a given.
But too often, we assume, we extrapolate, we use old data; we don’t always ask, listen, and observe.
So learn from your dog and do the research before you send the message.
(And if you need help with a voice of customer or audience research, let me know.)
Take 2: Sharing Good Stuff
From James Clear’s newsletter — to the point of paying attention:
Biologist Roger Payne on the power of having your boots on the ground and paying attention:
"Any observant local knows more than any visiting scientist. Always. No exceptions."
Source: Among Whales
From Ann Handley’s newsletter — to the point that you won’t be able to create compelling content unless you know how your audience is feeling (the “problem”) versus how they’d prefer to feel (the “solution”).
The framework I use is this:
This specific [content asset] helps [1 person] move from [current state] to [better state] by [action]—so they can [aspiration].
Example:
The speech in Milan helps a marketer move from overwhelmed by AI to empowered by it by hearing when/when not to use it—so they could confidently reimagine how they connect with customers.
If you’d like to receive this via email, just let me know. And if you have ideas for content, we’re open to that, too.
