In most industries, it can be said with confidence that there is a certain type of customer that requires special effort due to their deep knowledge of your industry or their discerning taste. This customer knows a great deal about the applications of your product, his needs and the needs of his community, and the details regarding your products and those of your competitors. In order to market to such a knowledgeable, discerning customer, basic marketing techniques will not be enough to grab their attention and win them over to your product. In some cases, this customer will know more than not only your lead marketer, but also your product manager and others in your organization about the needs of the market into which you are trying to sell. This type of customer requires a very special approach based on facts, knowledge, and information that is highly interesting and specific to the customer. Marketing brochures with information in bullet points and beautiful colors will offer no great appeal, but high quality, detailed information will.

Why is the marketing technique of providing high-quality, detailed information specific to the industry and customer needs far and above that which is specific to your product so effective with this customer type? The reason, simply, is that this customer clearly cares deeply about the matter at hand, or about the problem to which your product provides a solution, and therefore has an implicit trust for a an individual—and a company—that has taken the time to acquire deep knowledge on the subject at hand and/or seems to treat it with a passion equal to that of the customer. The flip-side of the coin is that the highly discerning or knowledgeable customer is not likely to take your seriously if you appear not to know very much about his needs. You are a knowledgeable company, so show yourself off as one!

How do you create and information-rich, interesting, and useful information limb to your marketing strategy, and how do you leverage it? Let’s look at a specific example. Let’s say you market a luxury transportation solution to for horses. Your customer is perhaps the owner or care taker of a prize competitive horse. The customer will have an extremely in-depth level of knowledge as to the needs of his horse, as well as a passion for meeting those needs. If you meet that customer’s passion and provide information beyond what is already available to him, you will gain his trust and begin to build a strong relationship. Providing rich, informative materials regarding general horse care, comfort, and other equipment will accomplish a few key marketing goals for you:

• Build trust
• Build the impression that your company has the expertise to provide the BEST solutions
• Keep the discerning customer on your web page, in your showroom, or wherever the info provided resides
• Keep the customer coming back to you
• Differentiate yourself from the competition
• Set yourself up as an industry expert