Who Are You Marketing To?


You know those workshops you go to where the instructor puts you on the spot right at the start by asking you to describe your target market? I'm one of those instructors. And I do it because a discussion about target markets is a critical first step to any marketing strategy and subsequent plans.

Invariably there is at least one person in every class who tells me they can sell to anyone. I know I'll get the chance to preach, "You might be able to sell to anyone but you can't market to everyone." Marketing is expensive - in time and money.

We need to find and develop content that is valuable (useful and/or interesting) to those specific people we want to have as customers. Once we've done that, we've got it made, right?

So, who are we marketing to?
  • potential customers
  • customers
Wait, there are more people we want to impact with our marketing:
  • colleagues
  • peers
  • influencers
  • referrers
  • vendors
  • partners
  • collaborators
Don't let me confuse you - I'm not saying you now need to have content that's valuable to all these people too. You'd be resonating with no one.

This is where your marketing content has a different purpose: credibility. And that's about how you market. Do you show up regularly? Can your content be trusted? Is your brand consistent in its look, messaging and frequency? Can these people tell you're an expert?

While I take time to create valuable content, the way I market has had the most impact on my business success. ALL of my new business comes to me through that second group of people, not from marketing to strangers. Don't ignore these people - some of them will be your biggest fans.

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Originally published in Work Better, Not Harder Newsletter August 28, 2018

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