What are psychographics and what do they have to do with marketing?
You can compare psychographics to demographics. Only psychographics say just a little more about a person. Instead of age, you get insight into a person's interests or lifestyle. Demographic data shows you who your target audience is based on standard values. Think of values such as; gender, age, income, marital status, etc. Psychographics answer the "why" behind a person's purchase. This includes habits, interests, hobbies, spending habits and the values, characteristics and traits of the target audience.
You can better reach your target audience if you understand both demographics and psychographics. In fact, the combination of this data forms your buyer persona. This is a detailed profile of an average person from your target audience. By forming one or more buyer personas, you will better understand your target audience, allowing you to reach them with a relevant message and content.
When you only use demographics, you only have a standard profile that is not specific enough to create specified content. Psychographics give much more insight into the motivations of individuals. There are lots of segments in psychographics, but the most popular ones are personality traits, life cycle stage, interests, attitudes or beliefs and activities. As a marketer, you can also differentiate between buying urgency, social class, income and more.