Throughout the course of our poster printing how-to we’ve talked a lot about choosing images people can relate to. But what does that really mean? How do you know when you’ve found it? And where do you look to find images that they’ll relate to without completely grossing them out?
Let’s Start at the Beginning
What does it mean to be able to relate to someone?
In life we meet a lot of different people. When you get a chance, take a second to look at the people closest to you. The ones in your inner circle. The first ones you call when things are going wrong-or when things are going right.
The people in our inner circle tend to be the ones we have the most in common with. They have lives and interests similar to our own. I’m not saying you have to be carbon copies of each other, but the key elements of your life-whether they be children or work or a spouse or a particular hobby-likely mirror each other. That’s because with those particular elements of your life in common you’re able to relate to each other.
Walk a Mile in Their Shoes
To be able to relate to each other you have to be able to imagine yourself in their shoes. You have to picture yourself enjoying the same things they do. Facing the same challenges they do. And that usually requires some shared knowledge, dream, goal or experience.
So From a Poster Printing Perspective That Means…What?
It means if you’re trying to market a product for parents by flashing a picture of a woman wearing Gucci, walking down a street in Paris and sipping a (still hot) cup of coffee, your average mom isn’t going to be the one paying attention. On the other hand, if you show a picture of a mom in a t-shirt and jeans, with toys scattered across the floor and a frazzled look on her face…
Oh yeah. Anyone who’s ever spent more than 5 minutes with a 2 year old without a nanny on call knows what that feels like. Moms can relate, and because they can relate they’re more likely to listen to what you have to say.
Choose images your customers can relate towhen printing your posters or accept that you’re marketing to the wrong market. It’s up to you.