3 Tips To Help You Connect To Your Audience
Recently I had an opportunity to sit down with a friend and veteran radio broadcaster just a few days before his retirement. Bob has had the number one morning show for over 30 years here in Columbus and I've never worked anyone who knew how to lock an audience in better than him. I asked Bob what lessons he's learned in building a relationship with listeners? He said "John you need to be careful not to talk down to your audience or to talk up to them, either way it makes them feel uncomfortable and they turn you off. If you share information that is important to them you will grab a lot of people."
I considered Bob's thoughts later and wondered, as I've spend most of my career in Christian broadcasting and helping churches and non profits connect with their target audiences, if we've learned the lesson Bob shared with me. Often as Christians we tend to do exactly what Bob advised us not to do. We approach people apologizing for our faith in this politically correct world. We say things like "I'm a Christian, but I'm not like that guy on TV or that other guy in the office." Or we address people from "on-high" that we are the wise ones who have found the answers for those poor sad people. This recently happened to me as I was greeted at the front door at my apartment complex by a little newspaper. It appeared to be a little community paper however it became suspect as I turned page after page which contained articles like "Holiday Depression, Financial Difficulties and Dealing with Lonliness". I figured out that it was a well disguised church advertisement to get me to attend a holiday musical. I worked for a church once that often targeted "apartment people" because they were stereotyped as poor, unemployed and in need of God. If you own a house apparently Jesus loves you more, I'm guessing was the thought. I became angry because I know others who live in houses nearby who didn't get these papers. I felt I had been talked down to by a church and I didn't like it. How much more effective would that campaign been if it had articles about the positives this Christmas, providing tips on traditions, coupons or how I can make my Christmas even better by being part of their celebration? Everyone is looking for a way to upgrade their lives. I don't want the Accord, I want the Accord LX. I don't want the 16gig iPhone I want the 32gig. The lesson? Talk to your audience and help them upgrade their lives but not from talking down or talking up, but talking with them.
Here's some ideas on how to do that;
1) Find out what your audience cares about.
2) Discover what they spend the most their time on. (Odds are they need help on how it could be done better or quicker)
3) What problems do they have can you help them solve. (Note: their problems.. not the ones you think they have)
Resist the urge to make yourself feel good by being some kind of hero because then your talking down. Jesus was the master communicator. He never talked down or up. He was all about knowing His audience and cutting to the things they cared about. I challenge you to make your communications to your clients, family and co-workers your priority in 2012 as I plan on making it mine. Have a Merry Christmas from my family and from Ondo Media.
-John Ondo is President & Creative Director of Ondo Media. We specialize in documentary production and media consulting. Based on Columbus, Ohio. John Ondo, can be followed on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and our Ondo Media Vimeo site
