We’ve all seen the famous subscriber demographic numbers from Sailing World Magazine. Sailors earn $268,700 per year. Their average net worth is $2.6 million. They’re more likely than non-sailors to buy the latest gadgets, own an imported vehicle, and say that CNN is their favorite TV channel. (That’s according to Sailing World’s 2020 market report.) If you’re marketing to sailors, that data makes you think of this:
But it’s also true that sailors sail boats like these ↓. And some of them are more likely to hold onto their old gadgets, drive a Ford, and watch Comedy Central.
What do sailors actually look like? Here’s 2019 sailing participation data from Sailing World‘s “The Sailing Market 2021” report:
If you’re marketing to sailors, do you know your audience?
As marketing goes, all this data leads to one essential question: Which sailors are you targeting?
- Do you know them?
- Can you think of at least five of them by name?
- Do they consider you a convenient person to know?
- Have they told you the information you give them is helpful/insightful/life-
changing?
If you can’t answer these questions (or if the answers are “no”), your carefully crafted marketing campaigns are probably missing the mark. Social posts aren’t getting the likes and shares you had hoped for. Emails aren’t causing the web traffic you thought they would. Your podcast subscription rates aren’t very encouraging.
Are you speaking to the rich sailor instead of the not-so-rich one? Does the language you’re using resonate with them? What if you’re telling them things they already know?
Do your campaigns speak to the right person?
The next time you’re creating a marketing campaign, take a step back. Think about your audience. Not a crowd of faceless sailors, but a small group of people – people you know would benefit from what you have to offer. What are their goals? Their biggest pains in the butt?
Not all sailors are rich. Some sailors are. It might not matter if they drive Volvos or Fords or watch CNN or Comedy Central. It doesn’t matter how much demographic info you have if you don’t connect with your audience. And you can’t connect with them without knowing them.
Do you know your audience?
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Surprised to see a marketing article written specifically for sailing-related businesses?
You might want to learn about my take on marketing for the sailing industry.