By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate

To effectively write to an audience you should strive to at least consider a few things, even though, like most things, it’s far more complex: education, desires, socio-economic status, and life experiences. 

What understanding these things will do is help you craft your message appropriately. For example, with education, think about what language you would use when talking with a doctor versus a toddler. You want to use language appropriate for your audience. Aside from language, knowing what your audience already knows and doesn’t know can be another important approach. If you’re in the plumbing business, your average customer may benefit from an explanatory piece on how the work is done and why, but if you’re selling supplies to other plumbers, such an explanation would seem ridiculous. 

Desire, as a methodology, is harder. Knowing what your audience wants, how they see their lifestyle, and how your products and services fit into that spectrum can be tricky and complicated. For example, if you’re aiming to sell beer to college students, you’re going to show parties, events, people having fun and not the austere woodsman, as much as the world would benefit from more Ron Swanson in every part of life. 

I single out socio-economic status as it is often conflicted with how the individual actually places themselves. While the vast majority of Americans may think of themselves as middle-class, their actual purchasing power and spending patterns don’t mirror that ideal. Understanding how your audience approaches purchasing decisions can help you craft your message and the way you do business to better accommodate these factors. 
 
Last, life experiences are important to understand because, contrary to what our culture continually tries to impress upon us, there is no such universal experience. Even when we know this, it’s still hard to avoid universalizing our own experiences and expecting others to be similar. This is often further complicated by the fact that those we grow up around do tend to have similar experiences by proxy. A recent study demonstrated that people who read Chekov before an interview were more likely to get the job. Part of this reason is that reading fiction exposes you to thinking about the experiences of others and thus builds empathy. We want to do the same with our audiences. We want to understand the experiences of our customers, not from our own perspective, but from their own. Thus, it’s important, that when we discuss how our products and services fit into an experience, that we don’t try to overly universalize and thus alienate our target demographics. 
 
Thus, with just a little thought to your target audience, your content will have greater appeal and work inherently better, even for the purposes of SEO. It never hurts to put yourself in the position of your audience and to reflect upon how they will interact with you. 

By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

If you haven't watched Garth Brooks's video announcing that he is finally on Facebook, you should. In fact, you should watch it twenty times in a row, so you can fully absorb all it's glory. We'll even provide the video for you to watch. Go ahead...I can wait.

Whether or not you're a fan of Garth's music, it's hard to deny that there are certain things about this video that are just off. This is our goal: We want to teach you everything that is wrong with this video, so that you and your company won't make the same mistakes.

Garth comments in his video that he wants to post "cool stuff, slick stuff, neat stuff" on his Facebook page, but that he also wants to post "raw stuff, like this [video]. This is just who I am." Here's the thing: The video doesn't actually feel raw. It's obviously a rehearsed script. That makes the entire experience feel insincere. Our advice to Mr. Brooks would be that he shouldn't be afraid of going off script. His fans love him and are devoted to him, and they would be overjoyed to feel as if he is really letting them into his life

This video has moments that make Garth Brooks feel less like a country music superstar and more like that creepy guy at the country music bar. The rehearsed delivery makes it feel as though he's feeding the viewer pick-up lines like, "Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven, angel?" When he says that Facebook is "wiping the walls out between you and me, and I really like that," it goes from being inclusive to being invasive. We would have loved to see him change the rhetoric so that it's less about putting himself into people's lives, and more about how he's letting others into his life. (Don't even get us started on how this video takes place in a dimly-lit hotel room.)

As much as we might be ripping this video apart, it isn't a complete failure. One of the comments Garth makes is that a friend told him to "think of [Facebook] more as a conversation." At Bon Visto Media, we wholeheartedly agree--there's a reason that social media has the word "social" in it. If he takes this to heart, then Garth Brooks could be incredibly successful on Facebook. This would mean being accessible, genuine, and responsive to comments. 

What do you think of Garth Brooks's video? Let us know in the comments!

By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate 

In teaching composition, I dedicate at least an entire class period to discussions of audience and what it means to be aware of it. Even outside of academic writing, to achieve the best results, the piece needs to match the abilities and interests of the people who will read it. For example, dry, jargon laden, technical piece will not do well to supplicate the needs and desires of high school students. 

Knowing and envisioning an audience is the hardest and most important part. Data, in this arena, is king for a reason and why there is big money to be made by selling it. This data, when properly processed, can give incredible insights into an audience. However, in the small-business world, access to this level of data is likely not financially viable. This fact does not mean, as somebody in this position, that we’re out of luck. There is a host of data to be gained from simple analytics, customer data, and even analyzing the marketing of products to similar demographics as those we desire. This approach might mean a little bit of hard work, but we wouldn’t be in the small-business world if we were adverse to rolling up our sleeves to expend a little elbow grease. 

Think about commercials for household products and cereals. Have you ever noticed the preponderance of middle-class families in spotless homes that are slightly more expensive than the ones people actually live in? There’s a reason: they’re targeting a specific audience, not as it actually is, but as it sees itself and desires to be. The message is these products are part of the desired lifestyle and will help you achieve it. Meanwhile, your Saturday morning commercials for breakfast cereals have a different approach: flashy graphics and cartoon characters. They’re not about achieving a middle-class dream, but rather having fun. They’re aimed at children. While the example might be apparent, it is an example of the differences in approach based on audience. 

Next time, we’ll get into some of the basic components of what to consider when addressing audience.  

By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate 

Writing content is not easy, particularly if it’s demanded daily. There’s only so many good topics, ideas, and time to find necessary information. The important thing to remember is, if you’re not writing for Cracked.com, the list is a cheap way to create filler. Sure, Buzzfeed does them. Sure, Upworthy does them. Sure, every other website that feels the need to pad their daily output of bland, insipid, and uninspiring content does them. You shouldn’t, because quality matters and we don’t need more Upworthys and Buzzfeeds. The dull content market is flooded. 

The list often functions as barely better than a collage of vaguely related subtopics and rarely does it seek to get into any quality detail. The list is poor organization, poor transition, and poor thinking. Furthermore, any item in these list articles would likely, if properly embellished and expanded, make a fine piece of content in its own right and be more interesting to the reader. 

The first question that should really be asked is, “what are my content needs?” Far too often, when I visit the website of a restaurant or store, the pieces of information I’m looking for are completely absent: their hours or their menu. Think like your customers, or better yet, talk to your customers. Quality writing depends upon being aware of the audience. Why spend money and time maintaining a blog when the vast majority of customers interested in your product or services have no interest in reading such content, but instead have similar questions that need answering? 

Without asking questions about your audience, you are playing into a host of unqualified “advice” about what you need to do to grow your business. Content is not a one size fits all solution. Considering your audience will save you time, money, and help you develop the quality content that is right for your business. 

Next time, we will delve deeper into the particulars of considering audience.

By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate 

We’ve all likely seen the want-ads for SEO specialists that ask for the performance of miracles even Jesus would have trouble delivering, and might be more likely to flip a few tables about. These ads are yet another part of an endemic crises not only in the business world, but in society as a whole, where the necessary hard work, be it creating a worthwhile product or spending the time to perfect an artwork, is brushed aside in the belief that what one needs is a “killer” piece of marketing. Given the number of people looking for “killer” content, one might assume the business world subconsciously wants the consumer dead. While paying attention to your SEO is important, and always has been since the Writing 101 days, it is not a substitute for quality content. 

Search Engine Optimization, as much as some might love it, suffers from at least one important fundamental flaw: the Googles of the world are actively working to subvert it. They’re paid more, they know more, and they will win. Not to malign the marketing professionals out there, but Google can afford the best and holds all the cards. You’re likely to have more success tilting at windmills than defeating the algorithm. 

What’s left is creating quality content that consumers want to engage with, that meets their needs, and answers their questions. For the majority of content, good writing is key. The easiest solution is to hire an actual writer, but failing that, having paid attention in your introductory writing courses is a good first step. Unfortunately, and I can vouch from years of experience teaching such a course, that when we’re young and stupid, we don’t quite see the future value of understanding the writing process. Luckily, there’s plenty of good advice online, once you get past the “tips and tricks” and the lists. 

 Next week, I’ll be discussing ditching the list and cheap content. 

By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

Have you ever visited the website ClientsFromHell.net? This site accepted submitted stories about freelancers and specialists who work with companies who make work miserable. Here’s an example of one of the posts from Clients From Hell:

Friend: "You’re seriously going to charge me for your art? But we’re friends!"
Me: "The only art I don’t charge for is when it’s a gift, so…"
Friend: "Eh, fine then. I’ll just wait until Christmas."

Pretty terrible, right? Well, you might be surprised how easy it could be to accidentally become a terrible jerk when you outsource work. Here is our advice for the best way to work with outside sources.

Have a strong idea of what you want your outsourced professional to do before you contact them. Make a list of what your company does, your mission with the outsourced material, your ideal client persona, and so on. This will save time and help your outsourced workers get their boots on the ground right away. Also, make sure you are clear on instructions—for example, how many prints you need, or what the copy of advertisements should be. Clarity will prevent having to send work back for fixes.

Would you want to work with a company that says it can deliver what you need, when in reality it can’t? That’s why you should match your clarity with a healthy heaping of honesty. Be up front about your expectations, your budget, and your deadlines. Plus, be honest about the things you don’t know—whether it’s missing details on your end or jargon that the specialist uses.

One of the biggest reasons companies outsource work is because they need a specialist who can do what the company cannot. For example, companies who don’t have the time, manpower, or expertise to manage their social media would come to Bon Visto Media. This is part of the reason why it’s important to respect outsourced workers—they tend to know what they are doing. Be open to whatever suggestions they might bring to the table, since it’s usually based off of years of experience.

Along with the need for a specialist, another big reasons that companies outsource work is that it saves them time so they can focus on the operations of their business. If you expect your outsourced work to arrive on time, it only makes sense that you should be on time as well. Help freelancers and outside businesses meet their deadlines by getting all information to them early and often.

It sounds obvious, but to some terrible clients, it’s not: Pay for what you receive! You would want to be paid for your work for your company, and so would freelancers and outside companies you work with. When you outsource work, you are paying for more than just the final product—you’re also paying for the labor, the personalization, and the expert touch that only a specialist can provide. 

Have you had a client from hell? Do you have advice that we missed? Leave a comment and let us know!