Brenda is searching online for a new car that can haul her three kids off to soccer next week. This car needs to be safe, reliable, and —most importantly—toddler-proof. So, when she sees an ad on Pinterest for a sports car claiming “It’s the Perfect Fit for You!” is she buying it?
Probably not.
When you’re writing an ad copy, you should have a clear idea of who you’re targeting.
Many car dealerships strive to maintain a generic tone that everyone can relate to. In theory, you’re keeping your audience inclusive. The idea is the bigger the demographic, the better. In reality, you’re keeping your key consumers at arm’s length. As a result, you craft a bland campaign and fail to create a lasting impression and ultimately, a long-term connection. Someone seeing your ad is not the same as someone acting on it. Conversions are the goal and they ultimately depend on whether or not the consumer resonated with the product or ad tied to it. A consumer is more likely to resonate with your brand if it fits within their designated “tribe”.
Let’s say that Brenda decides to buy that sports car. Subsequently, the image of said car suffers. When people see her cruising to the grocery store with her three kids in the back, a sports car no longer conjures the powerful imagery it once did. It’s not powerful or edgy because Brenda doesn’t need it to be. It’s also not a family car either. So what is it? It’s just a car.
If Everyone Can Have it, Nobody Wants it.
Brand imagery doesn’t have to be a scary, negative thing! There’s nothing wrong with telling someone “no, this car isn’t for you”. Defining who should buy what helps consumers enforce their identity. People don’t want to be told that their dream car is everyone’s dream car. They want to be told that they’re special and their choices reflect that.
How do you remedy vague content? For starters, identify your audience and match your voice to that niche. What kind of people are they? How do they speak? Word choice is especially important in this case. Language usage determines whether or not readers feel as though they belong. Marketers often refer to these groups of similar identities as “tribes”. These tribes allow the individual to feel as though there’s a greater overall connection. If they think to themselves, “that sounds like me!”, they’re much more likely to buy your product and connect with your image. The entire goal here is quality, not quantity. You want a loyal consumer base. If you’re successful in targeting a specific tribe, you succeed in not only landing the sale but building brand loyalty as well.
A loyal consumer base starts with language they connect with. Someone with kids, like Brenda, wants to hear keywords like, “safe, reliable, and smart”. Contractions are a good place to start. No one says “I am now going to the kitchen”. They say, “I’m going to the kitchen, want anything?” Once your content stops sounding like a robot and more like a friend, your audience listens. Ultimately, a content writer’s job is to figure out the language that best resonates with their targeted audience.
Aronson Advertising is staffed with professionals who work to define these tribes. We utilize Google Analytics to discover what kind of language and keywords resonate best with specific groups of people and how to implement this within our advertisements. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Call (847) 297-1700 for more information.
Good luck.
