‘Diversity and inclusion” is an umbrella term that refers to a lot of different actions you should take in the workplace. If you’re interested in helping your brand target specific audiences and meet them where they’re at, then you need to implement diversity in your marketing efforts. Here are three effective ways you can do this.
- Diversify your team
If you want to make sure your brand understands your audience, you should hire a marketing team that represents them. A team that has similar backgrounds and demographics to your target audience will be able to take their own life experience and craft messaging for those individuals.
This messaging will not only feel natural, but it’ll pull your intended audience toward your brand. People gravitate toward others who think, believe, and look like them. The same goes for companies. If your organization is upholding values that they believe in, then they’ll be more inclined to purchase your product or service.
Something as simple as diversifying who is on your marketing team can help you diversify your brand’s following and help you research the right people. This process also allows brands to build resilience and adaptability in the global market. When your brand has more perspectives and includes these in its marketing strategies, they’re able to achieve more visibility.
- Perform market research
Doing market research and data lets you observe positive, negative, and neutral responses from customers about their needs and preferences. Without this information, you may not be on the same page as your customers about what they want, need, like, or dislike. And you need this information to market well.
Be sure to ask your target audience questions directly during this process. You can do this through surveys, focus groups, and field trips that include those from your diverse target market. Without reaching out to your target audience, brand messaging can fall short or even be harmful to these individuals. It’s helpful to go right to the source and have a conversation with those you want to be in business with.
Once you’ve collected the data, you should study it with an unbiased eye. Doing this can help you build a relevant marketing strategy without pitfalls.
- Listen to customer feedback
Customer feedback is information provided by consumers about their experiences regarding a product or service. It helps reveal their level of satisfaction and enables marketing teams to recognize the room for improvement.
Consumers want to be heard by the companies whose products and services they purchase. A team with one member who shares a client’s ethnicity is 152 percent more likely than another team to understand the client. For this reason, it’s important to have a diversified team that represents your clientele.
This way, your customers will feel seen and understood. It’ll make a world of difference in your branding and marketing efforts.
Final Thoughts
Embracing diversity in your marketing can make a significant difference in how your target audience and current customers perceive your brand. As you pursue online diversity and inclusion training, be sure to implement these three takeaways immediately: Take the time to do research, listen to your customers, and hire staff that reflects your clientele.
