Audience!

It is 27 days until I launch my Kickstarter! Today we are talking about connecting with your audience.

Whether you are writing a book or creating cookie stamps you need to know who your audeince is. This is not a “Field of Dreams” fantasy where , “If you make it they will buy.” You need to reach out and connect with those who have a felt need that your product can fill. What is the emotional connection between your product and the consumers need?

It might be that they  love what your are creating because it inspired them to be creative. It might be  something to save them time and money. It might even go deeper.

One of my target audiences is younger moms who want to make memories with their young children. The retro loving moms who long for the days when cloth napkins weren’t for special occasions and people really did stop in for a cup of coffee and visit. They are the young women who are wanting to learn how to can farm fresh ingredients and bake their own bread. They find a lot of great ideas on Pinterest and love sharing them. They missed out on Home Ec. classes because many schools no longer offered them.

I want my audience to be encouraged to bake something fabulous with the ones they love, and create a few batches of their own memories. 

When I found this picture of my Grandma Miller and Aunt Betty, I smiled. They both had aprons on and it was obvious they were enjoying the day. My grandma always had cookies in the freezer and quilts that covered her pull-out bed. I loved falling asleep to the sound of her cock-coo clock and waking up to the smell of bacon frying in a cast iron skillet.

My audience is busy, but wants to make time for the things that are important, their family and community. They want to recapture that time in history when they didn’t have to sprint to keep up with the pace of everyday life.

I want my cookies to be something that brings back some of those retro values,  simple to make and yet fun and memorable to anyone who eats them with a cold glass of milk. The glazes I picked are bright and colorful, the handles are the right size that even a young child can grasp. They are dishwasher safe and made in America by an American. They are inspired by me, a mom who has been in the trenches of mommyhood and come out on the otherside, still smelling a bit like peanut butter but, in one piece.

My audience need to be encouraged to say “no” to taking on more obligations and understand that it is okay to read Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpiller for the umpteenth time, even if they have dirty dishes in the sink.

My audeince needs to know that someday their kids will grow up and move away and they might need to send them cookies to remind them of home.

Who is your audience? It isn’t what they would like but the why that matters most.