We’re Not All the Same… How Do You Really Reach Your Target Market?
You may believe that once you’ve found out what people are looking for, created great content and presented it once, that you’re done. The problem is you’re leaving a huge presence and a lot of potential profit behind.
Not everyone is going to connect with your content in the way you’ve presented it, and those that don’t will not consume it or perhaps even purchase it.
People learn and take in information in different ways, and the more of those you reach, the more of a market reach you’ll have.
Basically, people operate in a variety of learning modalities. Let’s take a look at the types of learning modalities:
- Visual Learners – Visual learners actually learn and better retain information by seeing and reading. This accounts for about 55 to 75 percent of people according to scientific studies. This is obviously a large portion of the people and therefore visual presentation is one of the most effective modes to communicate information.
- Auditory Learners – As suggested by the name, auditory learners tend to learn most competently by hearing or speaking. This includes about 20 to 30 percent of people.
- Kinesthetic Learners – Kinesthetic learners absorb information best through doing and touching. This would include tasks such as filling in the blanks, key strokes, and mouse clicks. Approximately 5 to 15 percent of people fall into this category according to scientific studies.
- Smell and Taste – These two categories are self-explanatory. We won’t spend much time on them here as they have very little application to the types of contexts that we are dealing with.
- Digital Auditory – Digital auditory is an internal learning modality that we will refer to as self talk. These thoughts in your mind ultimately are what guide your decisions. Everyone makes use of digital auditory and you need to be aware as to what your content is getting your audience to think and feel.
To sum it up… make use of the various learning modalities in how you present your content and you will reach a much larger percentage of your potential market. As well, you will have much more impact on their lives as they will be more likely to understand and put to practice what you have presented.
Wendy Hewlett
2010-07-12 @ 2:51 pm
Great article and I loved the survey … we all need to know what are readers prefer!!
Wendy Hewlett
Joseph McDevitt
2010-07-12 @ 3:15 pm
Pat & Lorna, Great post! I guess I am just a visual learner! I chose Pre-recorded video for that reason. If I see what is being explained to me I can relate much better. Also, with a recording you can rewind and go back and view it again & again. Thanks for the useful information! Joseph McDevitt
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-13 @ 9:22 pm
Joseph,
Thanks so much for taking part in our poll… and it seems like you’re among the majority in picking the videos. They combine the audio and visual, but we agree… it’s so much better to be able to see what someone is talking about and being able to replay the parts we want to review.
~ Pat and Lorna
Bill Cowan
2010-07-12 @ 3:29 pm
Thanks Pat and Lorna! These are great tools to apply in person or on the net. I used some of them successfully in a Sunday School class I taught and the class was made up of 30-50 year olds. Always great techniques.
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-13 @ 9:25 pm
Bill,
Great point! These techniques don’t only apply to the online world, they can be used when teaching and demonstrating in person as well.
~ Pat and Lorna
Alan Jenkin
2010-07-12 @ 3:56 pm
It had never really occurred to me before that how I learn affects how I respond to sales copy. Definitely food for thought here. I’m with Robin, though – I learn differently depending on the circumstances.
If it’s a one-off thing, like installing and using a plugin, I like a video with a step-by-step example that I can pause and restart. If it’s something I need to do more frequently, a PDF that I can refer back to works best.
Thanks for these thoughts, Pat & Lorna – as always you post such good content!
Alan
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-13 @ 9:29 pm
Alan,
Cool point… what we find as valuable in terms of learning tools can change depending on what it is we are learning. Although most of us probably have a learning style that we prefer more often than the others.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Eddie Espiritu
2010-07-12 @ 7:42 pm
So true…so true! People have all different types of personalities and different ways they learn best. Any time we are producing content, we must keep this in mind as you suggest.
Kathy Jodrey
2010-07-12 @ 9:32 pm
This is a truly important and interesting topic. We really do need to understand where our visitors are “coming from” in order to reach them at a level that will be effective. Personally I prefer learning from pre-recorded videos. The combination of hearing and seeing information at the same time is powerful, and I like that I can pause and restart, and even replay, at any time.
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-14 @ 7:06 pm
Kathy,
Personally, we like the videos the best as well… and it’s still a great idea to find out what our prospects and customers want so we can deliver our information in the way they like the best.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Tim Somers
2010-07-12 @ 10:12 pm
Guess one should consider developing content in several different formats to cover all the different personalities out there – although I voted for pre-recorded video and that by far is the most popular in your statics…
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-14 @ 7:09 pm
Tim,
That is so true… and by doing that we get a lot more use out of our information and content as well as a larger market reach.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Mark Hiatt
2010-07-12 @ 10:35 pm
I use the visual, auditory, etc. in my seminars when teaching networking skills – it’s important to have examples because very few people truly understand this concept (even some that teach it). I use the example of a man walking down the beach – what would he notice if he was visual? What if he was auditory? It might seem obvious but then how do you use this knowledge to describe your business in a way that captures the listener from all angles – that’s where it gets a little challenging. Great stuff – thanks for helping folks understand a useful tool.
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-14 @ 7:14 pm
Mark,
That’s a great example to use to explain the differences the various learning modalities. And you’re right, it isn’t always that obvious. A lot of thought needs to go into how to get our message out to all the different types of learning modalities.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Larry and Laura Morris
2010-07-13 @ 1:05 am
Hi Guys!!
This is so true!! I found this when raising my kids. One would learn in a totally different way than another would, and it was very important to clue in the teachers. It is interesting how high the video number is! I guess visual really is the most popular after all!!
Thanks
Laura & Larry
Jeremiah M. Wean
2010-07-13 @ 2:51 pm
Great content. With a great way to find out the best way to interact with your audience.
Maya Mendoza
2010-07-13 @ 7:05 pm
Great Post.
I would like to add a couple of things that I trust will add another dimension to the post and the comments.
From my understanding of NLP and how our brain is wired for learning, you will find that the above info is based on research carried out some 20 years ago.
The computer age has changed learning preferences and orientation for most people under the age of 25.
Most people under 25 now require multi level stimulation. They need to be an integral part of the learning experience because one dimensional, visual and static information does not engage a brain wired up for playing on computer games.
When you look at computer game experince you can see that the process is interactive, at once visual audio and kinaesthetic.
Also Auditory learning triggers imagination / visualisation, thus it becomes visual learning when the experience is chunked up. The imagination also evokes feeling / emotions so Auditory learning is often paired with kinaesthetic learning (a requirement for movement is common)
Also we absorb and remember over 40% more information when it is presented with in a moving, audio visual format – and up to 60% more when the content is given contrext such as a story formay – which means multi- media is the most effective learning tool and interactive media is the best of all.
I hope that is helpful
Thanks ~ Maya
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-13 @ 9:15 pm
Robin,
So true, it’s easy to forget that sometimes what we find useful and very helpful isn’t how others view it. Although we must admit… we still find that a lot of people print things out to read them or use them for reference. The “paperless age” has not yet arrived.
~ Pat and Lorna
Michael Berry
2010-07-14 @ 2:45 pm
You guys always have great information to share. Thank you so very much.
Michael
Nelson
2010-07-14 @ 4:37 pm
Gee, shows you how bright I am. I took the survey and the number one chose which happens to be what I chose is also the number one thing I hate to do. There is no know cure for old f#$ts like me who find it difficult to change. Thanks for this very needed post.
Nicole Rushin
2010-07-15 @ 9:25 pm
We do all learn differently, I am a hands on learner. I can’t build a thing unless my hands are right in the mess of it. Uhg, I hate to be told how to play a game and if I can’t just jump in and learn I don’t want to play. But I think I voted for the down-loadable pdf because I like to listen to recordings in my car and leverage my time. The problem is retaining what I have just listened to because if it is not immediately put into action somehow it is totally lost information for me. Thanks for this cool post.
Melodie Kantner
2010-07-15 @ 11:41 pm
Great Post. I recently attended a leadership training event where the styles of learning were covered. It is helpful in knowing how to talk to people.
Thanks
Melodie
Theuns
2010-07-17 @ 1:23 am
Great post Coolest Couple, it just make sens i wish they can implement it in schools because you do not get dum children, only people that learn diffidently .
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-19 @ 11:08 pm
Theuns,
So very true.
~ Pat & Lorna
Dr. Adam Sheck
2010-07-17 @ 8:42 am
P&L,
Great post on the different styles of learning and how we must keep this in mind when we express our gifts to our marketplace. For me, I’m a pretty visual learner and am really starting to enjoy the increasing use of video on the internet. At the same time, while that’s probably my primary style, there is the issue of convenience and opportunity as well. Because I spend quite a bit of time in my car (who doesn’t these days if you live in a city like L.A. ?) I find that I spend a great deal of time listening to teleseminars and audio products. So my secondary style gets much more time than my primary. Just a thought.
Thanks again,
Adam
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-19 @ 11:10 pm
Adam,
Great point!
Not only HOW you learn,
but WHERE you learn.
Thanks for pointing that out.
~ Pat & Lorna
Beth Allen
2010-07-23 @ 5:51 pm
Great post, Pat and Lorna. It is definitely important to appeal to as many senses as possible. I am highly visual, so much so that if I am not taking notes while I listen to an audio presentation/ speaker, I won’t retain it at all. I don’t even need to read the notes ever again, it’s something about the act of writing it that does the processing for me. If there are slides with it, I do much better with far fewer notes.
Thanks so much!
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-25 @ 10:21 am
Beth,
Sounds like your learning depends a lot on the kinesthetic aspect as well… physically getting actively “involved” in your learning by writing the notes. You’re so right… the more senses that get involved, the better possibility of retaining what we’ve learned.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Pat & Lorna
2010-07-25 @ 10:29 am
Angela,
It is a challenge to remember that other people may not learn the way we do… and to come up with a way to deliver our content to those who learn a little differently. Technically it is possible to reach all learning styles, it’s just that we need to remember to vary our delivery.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna