Diversity in marketing: know your audience

How are you doing with diversity in marketing? Have you made an effort? And if so, are you acknowledging diversity in a way that shows you know and understand your audience.

The last two weeks has shown a bright(er) light on the many layers of racial inequality in our society. It took me a long time to figure out what I could bring to the conversation or if I should even try to bring anything to the conversation at this point. I realize I have a lot to learn and wasn’t confident in my knowledge of this topic was deep enough. I decided it needed to be said.

Know your audience

I think the best way to bring diversity to your audience, in a way that is authentic to your business, is to review your target audience. Look at it through the lens of people of color, the LGBTQ community, of people with disabilities, and people from different generations. It will not be easy work, and you might find things you don’t like about how you’ve done things in the past – but push through. When you look at your brand as someone other than yourself or those like you, you will see an opportunity.

Look at the demographics, the psychographics, the personality, the problems, and the emotions of your audience when defining your target audience. Think about why they need your service. How are they feeling when they need you? How to they feel when you’ve solved their problem? Now review each aspect of your audience as if you were a person of color. As a member of the LGBTQ community, as someone who is disabled.

Do your homework and make a change

Empathy is what is needed in our communities. We need to do a better job of understanding what our neighbors are dealing with and how we can do a better job of supporting them – not turning our backs on them.