Exploring the process of homing in on my target audience.
Realizing some of my limitations regarding marketing my brand – and taking a direction I’ve deeply desired to go for a while – I have a new coach.
As we work on building some new tools to help me expand my brand and drive this new direction, I get homework from her after each session.
This week’s homework asks a question I’ve only vaguely given much thought to. But it’s a question that might provide key insight into who I am working on selling to.
What does the ideal member of my target audience look like?
What I have been tasked with doing is to create an in-depth, detailed look at this person.
It occurred to me that this exercise might be good for others to consider when it comes to marketing and such. Though I am not going to get into the level of detail my coach is requiring here – the basics of this person are worth sharing.
But before I get into them – there is another overarching issue.
What’s the brand I am selling?
As part of last week’s homework, I was required to create a comprehensive diagram of all the work I do under my brand.
This meant identifying everything I do as MJ Blehart (fiction works) and everything I do as Murray “MJ” Blehart (nonfiction works). All of it.
Specifically, all MY work. Not the stuff I do as a freelancer – even related to my writing. Just the things I do that are under my overall brand.
But once again, I face the often-asked question that I keep re-debating again and again.
What is my brand?
When all is said and done, there are almost as many similarities as there are differences in my fiction and nonfiction works. That’s partially because it all comes from the same place – me. But it’s also partially because the overarching philosophy that drives my life is present in everything I create. And I mean everything.
In a recent podcast conversation, actor Ben Giroux explained how some people choose what they do – while some people are what they do. Writer of fiction versus nonfiction might be what I choose to do. But conscious reality creator is what I do.
Or more aptly, and more easily condensed – storyteller is what I do. And who I am.
I love telling stories. True stories, fantastic stories, funny stories, instructive stories – it doesn’t matter. I’m a storyteller by nature. And that is my why.
The brand that I am selling? Storyteller. MJ Blehart or Murray “MJ” Blehart – it doesn’t change.
While I desire to reach everyone I can – no matter who, what, where, why, or how they are – there is an ideal target audience. And deeper than that – an ideal member of that audience
Visualizing the ideal target audience member
Who is this mystery person that I am targeting for my brand?
While my coach wants a super-detailed look at this, I’m going to offer just the basics to you here.
This person is a creative of some stripe or other. They love a story that engages both their imagination and sensitivities. I think they are somewhere around my age, but likely a shade younger – mid-30s to mid-40s.
I don’t know their gender – but frankly, it doesn’t matter. They could be male, female, trans, or nonbinary. Makes no difference to me. But they appreciate an ally like me who accepts and supports them and who they are. And encourages them to be the boldest, best self they can be.
My target audience member has directly or indirectly dealt with mental, emotional, and spiritual health matters. Like me, they understand depression and similar issues. They are seeking greater self-knowledge and mindfulness (consciously or subconsciously) and have interests in a variety of arts and sciences.
Like me, this person worries probably more than they should about the impression they make on other people. There are some self-worth issues and insecurities that they may or may not recognize.
I haven’t the foggiest idea what the color of their skin or the shape of their eye is. Makes no difference to me – and that’s part of why, in my more recent fiction, I’ve been not describing too much detail of characters. I want the reader to picture someone like them – whatever their cultural, racial, or ethnic background.
My ideal target audience member is open-minded and questing to experience as much of their life as possible.
Vague, but maybe not so vague
This is just the start. For my coach, there will be far, far greater detail. Like I need to get more in-depth with their socio-economic background, backstory, motivations, perfections, and imperfections. I also need to develop some scenarios of where and how we (they and I) would interact.
I know that on the one hand – this could be anyone. On the other hand – I believe that I do define who they are not less vaguely.
I know to whom my work isn’t going to appeal. My storytelling is likely not going to touch someone who is highly conservative, set in their ways, and not seeking actively (or passively, really) to grow.
One of the things I love best about both sci-fi and mindfulness is how they’re all about growth. Potential and possibilities. How many ideas introduced to us by Star Trek and other sci-fi books, shows, and movies have been turned into reality? That was done via someone mindfully talking action to create them.
This is how I know that the gap I perceive between the fiction and nonfiction I create is not as wide nor deep as I often think it might be.
Do you think you’re in my target audience?
If what I create speaks to you – and you can see yourself in the person I describe above, even partially – then I presume the answer would be yes.
Why does identifying this person matter? Because then we know how to better market me, my brand, and my work. And that opens the way for me to have the life experience and be the person I most desire to be.
That is utterly worthwhile. And I am excited about it and all the new potential and possibilities it opens before me. Now – actions to build are up next.
Thank you for being part of this wild ride.
This is the one-hundred and fifty-sixth article exploring the ongoing creative process. Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.
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