4 Ways to Use Content to Reach Diverse Audiences
Identifying your market niche is an important part of business development, especially when you’re just starting. But expanding your reach is an equally important next step to focus on as you grow.
One way you can grow your business is by addressing your content to more diverse audiences. It’s possible that your primary or original marketing materials might not resonate well with different demographics. So you need to be thoughtful about what kind of content you produce. If you’re ready to get started, here are four ways you can use content to reach more diverse audiences.
1. Tell Inclusive Stories
Representation matters. When a consumer sees someone who looks like them in marketing materials, they feel more heard, seen, and valued. The more your audience feels appreciated, the more likely they will be to buy, or at least consider, your offerings.
Inclusive storytelling doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s as simple as featuring people of different colors, languages, sizes, and abilities in your content. Where you might automatically use an image of someone with your skin color, choose a photo of someone who looks different from you instead. It also involves speaking as they do. If applicable, consider engaging a technical writing services provider to translate your user instructions or product manuals into multiple languages.
Including people of different backgrounds in your content is a great way to start reaching them. Just be sure to actually research the cultures and communities you’re portraying. If possible, consult or hire someone from the represented demographic so you can ensure you’re representing them authentically. Feigned, profit-driven inclusivity will drive people away more than it will attract them.
2. Incorporate User-Generated Content
Speaking of authenticity, there’s good news. You don’t have to produce all your content yourself! Reach out to your audience for content submissions about your brand. User-generated content is a dynamic and influential type of content creation that encourages passionate individuals to say what they love about you. Word of mouth is still one of the most powerful marketing tools, and UGC functions just like it.
Testimonials are one of the easiest ways to regularly incorporate UGC into your brand’s marketing. Look for testimonials or other positive feedback written by customers or followers that you can display for all to see. If you have a blog, feature guest posters from diverse backgrounds to help you reach a broader audience.
One of the tricky issues with UGC, especially if your brand is still small, is ensuring participation. Incentivize UGC creation by running contests for users to submit content, then reward the winners. Feature their victory on your website and in other marketing materials to generate buzz and prompt future participation. Alternatively, you could provide incentives such as discounts or exclusive early access to new products, features, or content in exchange for UGC contributions. Tapping into the power of your current audience will help you broaden your reach.
3. Adapt Your Content for Different Platforms
While you want to spread your message widely, be careful when posting completed content on different social media platforms. Different platforms have different cultures, tones, languages, and memes. Posting identical content on different platforms at the same time can come across as tone-deaf. And coming across as tone-deaf spells death when you’re trying to reach diverse audiences.
Rather, adapt your content to fit the tone and preferences of audience members in different corners of the internet. X (formerly Twitter) is known for its brevity, so write concisely and leverage hashtags. Instagram and TikTok are highly visual, so post eye-catching reels and videos to grab people’s attention. LinkedIn is a professional platform, so focus on sharing industry insights and long-form posts there.
Adapting your content to different platforms is a challenging task that takes a lot of time and energy. Consider hiring a social media manager if you haven’t already. They’ll organize your content team, enabling them to produce a range of diverse content on a regular cadence. Doing so will help you establish a foothold on different social media platforms.
4. Collaborate With Other Content Creators
Partnering with influencers is just one way you can cross-pollinate audiences. Reach out to content creators with followers in different demographics and suggest doing a collab. Collaborations can be wildly successful, as evidenced by multiple NikexStar Wars crossovers.
No matter your product, service, or content pipeline, you can find a way to mesh it with another. Locate diverse reviewers on sites like YouTube or Twitch and ask them to review your product. Partner with another brand to create a new product altogether. Do partnership deals in which, by purchasing one brand’s offering, the customer receives a discount at the other.
There are numerous ways you can partner with other brands and content creators. Think of what kind of offerings you have and where they overlap with others in divergent spaces. Then reach out to creators in that sphere to see whether any are interested in partnering with you. You never know until you try!
Stay Genuine
While there’s no shame in wanting to expand your business’s reach, people can tell if you’re looking at them with dollar symbols in your eyes. Do your due diligence to ensure you’re portraying a new audience authentically in your content. Otherwise, you risk burning the very bridge you’re trying to build. Be clear about why you want to reach a particular demographic beforehand to increase the chance you’ll genuinely connect with them.
