How Do People Use Your Website?

Myers-Briggs, astrology, the enneagram —sometimes I wonder why humans are so obsessed with personality quizzes, but when I consider it from a neurological perspective, it seems logical we would want to classify ourselves in order to better make sense of our own behavior (or that of others). Even before scientific studies were so prevalent, observational data has been collected across a variety of cultures and centuries of human societies. As with anything, when some patterns are consistent across such a broad spectrum of data, they probably hold some truth, even if we aren’t sure why. What does this have to do with your website or social media calendar?

It would be unwise to completely dismiss these tools from the table when considering your market. Look at personality tools like quick guides for the user on the other side of your browser. Which personality type does your marketing tend to attract and how do those people tend to interact with the world? Use this information to funnel your focus and what you invest in with design and content. As an example, if your brand is geared towards people who love to explore, they are likely curious and into novelty. Make your product discoverable on other platforms that would appeal to their natures. Keep your content fresh.

If your audience is more of a homebody, they probably value safety. Make sure their information is secure. Focus on building a more steady, loyal (and maybe small group?) online community. What about the rule follower or planner in the group (Enneagram type 1 anybody)? Communicate clearly and often, and don’t be too cheeky. Make sure your navigation is obvious on your platforms and try to include calendars when possible. These are the people that want to know when their item has shipped, for instance.

Obviously these aren’t the only categories to explore, but you get the idea. Which personality test can you NOT make all about you, but instead use to understand your clients instead? How can you serve this group more fully now that you better know what they need?

Market Heuristics: How Culture Influences your Audience

If you have ever traveled to a foreign country, you may have found yourself confused about how to navigate cultural differences and how they come up in every day interactions. A common shock in many countries, for instance, is how open many Americans are when talking to strangers. With a country as diverse and sprawling as ours, though, you don’t have to travel internationally to see the way culture influences how people react to things. The bluntness of New England—the superficiality of LA—the “polite” South. These are all stereotypes born from cultural differences and priorities. Generational differences, too, can be a challenge to reach across in our own communities. Gen Z is often seen as being unable to focus or commit to anything; however, they have been raised with a high level of customization. Is it possible that perspective can help us to understand and work with them better?

Heuristics are how our brains cruise control on decision-making, and the cultures we come up in set the code for what those heuristics look like. If you live in America, there are some general cultural norms you can be aware of as a starting point, and then further research your specific market niche from there.

The first one I’ll touch on is equality. America ranks pretty high in terms of the level of equality they expect for the least of us. This may seem obvious, but when fleshed out, it clarifies a lot of unseen motivators. What appears to be entitlement, for instance, may be the flip side of the same hidden beliefs that allow us to fight for the freedoms of communities we don’t even know. Whatever your market, who has the least power in the system? If you work in education, it is likely the child. In any market, the casual or passive consumer is often the least powerful within the community. Understand that in our culture there is a low tolerance for exclusion at these levels or a high expectation for fair treatment regardless of the level of power people hold in the system. This idea shapes people’s subconscious expectations of fairness, and even influences what qualities are attractive in a brand. Think of the ways we respect companies and people who share their expertise and give followers tidbits of education on their socials for free. Being aware of this influence is the first step towards working with it in a way that works for your business. How can you express equality in your market?

Feeding your Audience: Serve your Customers a Three Course Meal with Marketing

Let’s imagine you’ve been gifted a free meal with your favorite person. You have been given two options: a fine dining experience at a new fancy restaurant with several courses or, alternatively, two combos at your favorite fast food place. Play out both of those options in your mind. Which one makes you feel more fully nourished?

I’d bet that while you might have a great time eating with good people at Chipotle, the fine dining experience likely seems more appealing overall. Part of the reason this may be true is that the fine dining option stimulates several areas of our brains. It’s new, which sparks our attention. The person we are with is safe and the thought of being with them and experiencing something new together stirs up the emotional parts of our brains. And lastly, the idea of dining at a fancy restaurant brings with it the possibility for higher levels of learning. It makes us feel a little curious about what we may discover about food itself.

Attention, Emotion, and Cognitive Curiosity. These are the three aspects of the human brain that want to be fed well. As a small business, recognize that each component has its value and use good marketing to serve your customers up a three course meal they will appreciate and remember.

Keeping the Customer's Brain in Mind: Marketing to Real People

Have you ever craved a particular food when you are feeling bored, or upset? Maybe craved some chocolate when you really needed a cuddle? The part of your brain that loves those familiar comforts is also responsible for shaping your purchasing preferences. Our decisions about what products to buy are largely made for us by our base brain settings and the early experiences that shaped them. Sure it’s possible to reshape the things we find appealing, but that takes time and awareness. Instead, our brain often just finds creative ways of chasing the same things we have had before, even when we like the excitement of something new.

Understanding this tendency as a consumer is clearly valuable for our personal growth, and likely our wallet. As a marketer, though, this knowledge can mean the difference between product sales that bloom or ones that wither. Your customer is both looking forward to something new and, to some extent, wanting what they already have, what they already know, and what they have already seen. Give them both. Make your new-to-them product feel familiar. All that takes is knowing your market…simple, right?