Customers Vs Consumers: Who Should You Really be Targeting?

Before you can start talking about who to target a product, you need to know the difference between a customer and consumer. At first glance, these two may seem the one and the same, and often it is. However, there are times when the two different words are not interchangeable. This is because the customer is the person who will ultimately purchase the product but will not necessarily be using it. For example, if you buy a tricycle for your child, you are the customer and the child is the consumer. Therefore, deciding on who to target the marketing to can get a bit tricky.

Customers Are Your Gateway

Ultimately, all consumers are customers. Deciding on who to market to will depend entirely on the product you are marketing. Things like toys, holiday, wedding and birthday gifts, insurance are given by one person to another. You could view them as your gatekeepers or as your third-party customer. However, these types of purchases are done by the customer to please a consumer out of obligation or necessity. This is why when the holiday season approaches you start seeing a lot of products geared towards children, is actually being marketed to parents. Specifications such as price, safety, usefulness, etc. are included to win over parents, even though the product is ultimately for children to use.

Targeting Customers and Consumers in the Digital Age

Targeting customers and consumers in the digital age has become easier. This is because it is now possible to target specific consumers, with specific products, thanks to better search engine algorithms. The days of hoping an advertising campaign will be seen by your target audience is over.

Demystifying Targeted Marketing Campaigns

When planning for a specific market segment to get noticed by your customers and consumers, there are basically five different categories to keep in mind. They are:

• Geographical areas which include zip codes, regions, states and countries
• Behavioral stats such as spending habits, brand interactions, user status and so on
• Demography which includes age, gender, marital status, religion, ethnicity, and education
• Psychographic segmentation which considers beliefs, faith, values, personality, etc
• For B2B customers company size, revenue, and type of business should be considered

Why Targeted marketing Is Very Important

Targeted marketing enables you to talk directly to your audience. In fact, the algorithms have become so good that it is now possible to see how many people saw your ads, who exactly saw them and how much they spent on goods. It is the ultimate in converting leads to sales. After the customer or consumer has purchased, you will be able to build a rapport with them and gain their loyalty. However, it can be difficult to take advantage of these benefits. Contact us today, and we can help you with converting those all-important leads.

Lynne Motkoski, Digital Marketing Strategist

Specialty: Digital Marketing Strategies
Education: MA Communications & Technology, BComm [U Alberta]

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Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.