Eyewear Company Uses Instagram for Audience Building
When your business has first launched or is trying to attract a new type of customer, an important first step is to identify the most effective ways to reach your target audiences. If you have you ever watched Nickelodeon on a weekday afternoon, you know that their advertisers understand their audiences very well. Every commercial is an enthusiastically narrated pitch for children’s toys or a somewhat less enthusiastic pitch to buy household cleaning supplies or cookware. Why? The audiences for that particular channel at that particular hour is generally school-aged children and their stay-at-home parent. While your business may not be investing in television ads, the principle of identifying your audience and tailoring your message to appeal to them remains the same.
Though television ads are particularly effective for targeting specific groups according to programming, other forms of media can achieve the same targeted focus. Warby Parker, a relatively new online eyewear company, exploded onto the scene in 2012 through the use of an innovative Instagram campaign. Their product – fashion-forward, low cost prescription glasses – was developed to be worn primarily by young, style-conscious Millennials who, more often than not, are on multiple forms of social media. Knowing Millennials’ penchant for photo-sharing, they came up with the concept of an Instagram Photo Walk.
Participants signed up online, met up and meandered the streets of New York City, snapping pictures along the way. Many of the photos incorporated Warby Parker glasses, while some just captured shots of the city. The event generated 678 photos with the hashtag #WarbyWalk, and Twitter was brimming with positive feedback. Thanks to their branded hashtag, the event fused participants’ love for a product, city and photo-based application into an attention-grabbing piece of digital marketing success.
While Warby Parker doesn’t invest in traditional advertising, they identified their audience and found a way to connect with them. When building an audience, you must try to connect with individuals who have the power to spread your message without your intervention. So it’s important to focus less on your products and services and more on the big picture, much like Warby Parker’s Instagram campaign focused on how their stylish frames fit into their consumers’ stylish everyday life.
Don’t underestimate the power of choosing the right medium – it alone could make or break your campaign. Say, for example, you’re launching a food blog that focuses on quick and healthy weeknight recipes. It’s a safe bet that a good chunk of your audience will be busy moms. If you post scrumptious-looking pictures, Instagram may be somewhat effective for promoting your blog, but Pinterest would be a better choice. The platform is photo-centric, recipes are a popular type of content and 71.4% of its users are female. Take time to figure out who and where your audience is, and take your ideas to them. Your audience is already waiting for you. Will you be the one who finds them?
How has your business successfully built an audience? Did you use social media or start somewhere else? Let us know in the comments!
