There is an old quote that I think I made up that goes: “You can’t sell to an infant if you don’t talk ‘baby'”.
What do I mean by this? Just that you have to be able to converse online on the level of your target demographic to be successful in your venture.
I’m currently writing a personal guide to Social Media Strategies, and idea number 20 goes like this:
While tweeting or using Facebook, consider the age of your target market and match that with the age of those in charge. Is your target market 19-20 year olds? Then someone who is 40 cannot be responsible for conversing with the market, as their world views are different. The same is in effect if your market is 40+, then an 18 year old cannot connect on the emotional level that your conversations need to be.
Take a look at your target demographic before jumping on Twitter. If you’re selling shoes that target 16 year olds, then a senior web designer who has grand kids cannot properly and effectively communicate with your market. Social Media is about conversations and communication. If the right conversations don’t happen due to lack of familiarity, then your brand can suffer. Taking measures to communicate with your market efficiently can grow your brand and make online ventures work.