JULY 2018 GERMINATION.CA 43 THERE ARE TWO main kinds of people who exist when it comes to learning to use a new data management system: casual users and power users. If you’re a power user and not just a casual user of busi- ness management software, you’ll know what a difference a software provider can make. Power users face unique challenges in their learning. They need a long-term soft- ware provider who is willing to partner with them to help them in their learning. Power users tend to want to be competitive and want their business to grow and thrive; they need to partner with a technology vendor and not just buy an out-of-the- box software product like the casual user tends to do. Out-of-the-box software that comes with a simple user guide generally doesn’t help the power user much. Power users struggle with user guides because everyone uses software differently. Your business runs one way, another business runs a different way. When I work with power users, I help them to docu- ment their own processes when they use the software, cre- BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ARE YOU PAIRED WITH THE RIGHT SOFTWARE PROVIDER? Mike Dorris, Sales and Operations Manager, Cultura Seed Solutions @mikedorris1 • mike.dorris@culturatech.com • culturatech.com ating a customized one-of-a-kind user guide. Humans evolve, so their user guide should as well. I work with clients to not only help them make sense of data management, but actively tweak the soft- ware to suit their unique needs. It’s important that custom additions to software fulfill the needs of the customer and also look at the bigger picture — they must integrate well to ensure a good user experience. Some software companies don’t build anything extra into the software. Others build everything into the software, but the changes don’t integrate well and make everything more difficult to use. It must fit and flow well and work together — that design process helps us hone our development process and solves their problems at the same time. If you’re a power user looking to find a good soft- ware provider to partner with, I hope I’ve helped you paint a picture of the kind of provider that would be right for you. AT ISSUES INK we talk a lot about audience, message and channel. Know who you are talking to, clearly define the message and identify the best possible path forward. Effective and engaging communication starts with taking the time to analyze the target audience. Identifying ‘growers’ as the audience is just part of the process. Anyone and everyone in the industry will say growers are their audience. Content marketing is about engagement. To foster impactful engagement, you need a deep dive into your target audience persona so that you can assess what content will resonate with them. Author and speaking coach Lenny Laskowsi created a terrific acronym — A.U.D.I.E.N.C.E. — that serves as a tool to help you with that deeper dive. Consider the fol- lowing when developing messaging and content: •  A – Analysis. Start with a general identification of who your audience is. Are you targeting another business, or creating content with growers in mind? •  U – Understanding. What is their knowledge on the subject matter? •  D – Demographics. Go beyond simple considera- tions like geographic region, age, or gender. Draft an CONTENT MARKETING WANT TO CONNECT? CONSIDER YOUR A.U.D.I.E.N.C.E. Kelly Saunderson, Client Services Manager, CREATE by Issues Ink ksaunderson@issuesink.com • issuesink.com audience persona. Consider their business profile, as well as them as individuals. •  I – Interest. What is the audience interested in that you could provide? Why would they consume your content? •  E – Environment. Are there external topical or envi- ronmental issues facing the audience? For example, is the audience facing drought conditions? Or, has a new competitor entered the market? How may this influence your content development? •  N – Needs. What are the audience’s needs? What are the ‘pain points’ that you may be able to solve? •  C – Customized. What specific needs should be addressed in the content? Keep messaging simple and focus on one need at a time. •  E – Expectations. What are your audience’s expecta- tions of you and your content? How can you meet or surpass them, thereby creating a deeper engagement? You need an in-depth appreciation for your audience before you can tailor the message for them. If you’re trying to communicate and connect with everyone, then your content is actually for nobody.