Catering,Beginners,Enthusiasts marketing Catering to Beginners, Enthusiasts and Geeks
Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t
Recently I had occasion to review several dozen Web sites in oneindustry -- camera stores. I found this eye-opening, as an unfortunatepattern emerged that I believe holds true not only on the Internet but also inpaper-based marketing materials, and applies to many professions. First,some background.Most of us, particularly those who regularly deal with a wide swath of thepublic, know how to adjust our conversation according to the experiencelevel of our audience. If someone asks to see a particular camera, aretailer explains it differently, depending on whether the person seems toknow as much as he does about cameras, or next to nothing. An oncologist explains the same case of cancer differently to the patient than to the patient'sdoctor.On paper and on the Web, however, we tend to orient our promotionalmaterial to just one kind of audience and only one level of sophistication.If we do this strategically, great. If we make a conscious choice to targetone audience rather than another, because the former accounts for higherprofits, terrific. But that's not what I saw at the camera store sites.For beginners, people who don't know much about a product or service, it'sa huge mistake to lead with detailed product information. Too much "APS 505AiAF f/2.8 2x" overwhelms when I'm wondering whether a digital, 35mm ordisposable point-and-shoot camera would fit my needs.Beginners need helpful guidance that takes their goal as the startingpoint. Questions and answers and products recommended for specific purposesmay work best for this audience so long as the descriptions use laypersons'vocabulary.Enthusiasts, people who love spending money on their hobby, respond wellwhen invited to adventure farther or deeper and meet new challenges inpursuit of their favorite pastime. Activities such as clinics and outingsfor wildlife photography, sports shots or photojournalism capture theimagination of this group -- and get them to spend more money. Since thissegment loves exchanging tips and sharing their passion, an onlinediscussion group and an email newsletter containing picture-takingtechniques would earn their devotion to a Web site.Finally we get to the geeks, the experts, the pros, who usually have arough idea of what they want and might be narrowing down the field to oneor two models or manufacturers. They're the ones that all that "APS 505AiAF f/2.8 2x" speaks to. I doubt very much they represent the majority ofcamera buyers, or that they bring a merchant the greatest profit, sincethey're probably skilled comparison shoppers. Nearly all the sites I lookedat mainly appealed to geeks. And I think this was unintentional, due to thecamera store owners belonging to this category themselves.Don't pick out one audience only unless that's your strategic choice. Bycombining approaches on your Web site, or on a brochure or sales sheet, youcan lasso all levels of customers -- beginners, enthusiasts and geeks. Article Tags: Beginners Enthusiasts
Catering,Beginners,Enthusiasts