Your success depends on knowing what your target audience wants.
If you don’t know what your target audience is looking for, you are not going to be able to sell to them. Your content will ring hollow, your social media won’t attract followers, and your bottom line will suffer.
Like everybody else, the people in your target audience mainly want to hear about themselves and their problems.
Yet, in way too many cases, healthcare technology companies still talk too much about their products.
At different stages of the buying funnel, people want different things.
Some people visiting your site may be experiencing a new problem, one they had not previously encountered. Perhaps their hospital was short-staffed because a nurse was put on the schedule, even though she had put in for vacation and was out of town. Perhaps they are having claims denied because they are not getting their billing codes right.
If you are targeting people in this early stage, you need to show them that you understand what they are going through. Give real-life examples of what happens when the problem you solve is left unaddressed.
Other members of your target audience may be well aware of their problem and are actively exploring solutions. They may already be talking with your competitors as they try to hone in on their best options.
If you are targeting people in this comparison stage, you need to tell them what they should look for. Help them in their comparison-shopping by showing them a list of “must-haves.” Emphasize the differentiators that set your company apart.
If you are unsure what to communicate in these stages, use my quick guide on What To Ask Your Target Audience. It will show you exactly what to ask, so you can find out what your target audience wants.
What exactly should you ask your target audience?
The ideal situation is to sit down with a client or a solid prospect and have a conversation. Of course, when that is not possible, you have plenty of alternatives (my Audience Focus Sheet will show them to you).
But let’s say you are sitting down with a perfect member of your target audience. What do you do?
Simple.
Ask them about their problem, and listen for their emotions.
Get them relaxed and talking, so you can hear the real-life situations that make them seek out your help. These are the perfect stories to use in your content. They will give a “click” to others in that same situation, who will then feel that you understand their world, too.
You want to find out what pushed them from accepting their current situation to looking for something better. You want to find out what frustrations and challenges resulted from the situation, and how that affects their life.
This quick guide makes it simple: What To Ask Your Target Audience.
Most of all, listen to the emotional tone. The emotions they express will tell you more about their pain points than anything else. If they are worried about something, your content needs to reflect that. If they are driven nearly to tears every time they try to use their current system, your content needs to show that, too.
Let your target audience speak for themselves.
The healthcare sector falls prey to corporate-speak way, way too often. This may sound nice to your Board, but it will not sound good to your target audience.
Instead, listen carefully to the words and expressions your target audience uses – and then use them in your content. Don’t be afraid of sounding personal; that’s the language that will resonate the strongest. Remove it and you lose the impact.
Remember, the best way to dazzle a prospect is by showing them you understand their world – not by talking about your latest feature.
Learn to listen for your target audience’s pain points, focus on the situations they describe, and notice how it makes them feel. That is the way to discover what your target audience wants.
Still need help? Download my quick guide, What to Ask Your Target Audience. It will tell you exactly what questions to ask, so you can really hone in on what your target audience wants.
