When bringing a new CBD or CBD oil product or service to this rapidly-changing environment, building trust with your target market is your goal. The old adage, “People buy from people they know and trust” is good as far as it goes, but they also want to know you understand their needs. They also want to know that you care about the quality, safety, and effectiveness of your product and the industry.
You want to tailor your message to the customers who will most value its benefits and highlight what differentiates your offering from the competition. The desire to sell your product to everyone and their dog is understandable, but you’re more likely to enjoy early and long-term success by identifying a niche and concentrating your marketing and PR resources on that specific audience.
Whatever you do, be truthful about who your product or service is meant for, and steer clear of underage consumers. The trouble the vaping industry is now experiencing demonstrates the folly of targeting teens as well as making claims before the supporting science was in. That highly profitable strategy ultimately proved to be a catastrophe. Be clear and keep your messaging truthful and up-to-date with the changing regulations.
CBD Public Relations: Defining Your Target Market
How do you develop your ideal customer persona? Start by defining:
Who is my ideal customer? (Demographics)
Young/middle-aged/retirement age
Single/married
A parent/not a parent
Male/female/either
A high school graduate/a college graduate
A homeowner/a renter
Salary-based/paid hourly
Religious/not religious
How does my ideal customer live and shop? (Psychographics)
Willing to pay more for high-quality ingredients/driven by affordability
Athletic/non-athletic
A pet owner/not a pet owner
Active on social media/prefers to be socially private
Likes to try trendy products/highly loyal to certain brands
Owns affinity products like (clothing brands, shoe brands, car make, kitchen appliance brands, etc.)
Typically shops at Walmart, Target, Nordstrom, etc.
Follows certain influencers/does not pay attention to celebrities
Where does my ideal customer live and spend time? (Location)
Urban setting/suburban community/rural area
Shops in physical stores/prefers to shop online
Travels a lot/travels occasionally/rarely or never travels
Where do they get their information?
If they are on social media, which channels are the most effective?
As you gather information about actual customers, you can tailor PR campaigns that will best resonate with them. What are their questions, what are their concerns, what problems do they have that you can solve with your product? Knowing who you’re talking to determines the tone of your communications. Find a voice the resonates with your target audience and then help them not only understand your product’s attributes but also become a trusted resource for the latest information as the CBD field evolves.
Whether it be stories you share on your own social media accounts or website, stories you pitch to the media outlets your audience follows, or events you participate in or plan and host to create an experience for your customers, the more you know about who they are and what matters most to them, the more you can hone your messaging to connect and build trust.