What is important is not always the most urgent – and this is certainly true in your marketing. There are a thousand other day-to-day tasks on the docket, and taking the time to put together the nuts and bolts of an audience-focused marketing plan may seem like one more mountain to climb.
The first three steps to implementing effective audience-oriented marketing may seem obvious – and they are. However, dealing with the obvious isn’t always… well… obvious.
1. Identify Your Audiences
For your solutions, who are you talking to? What are their main job functions? What concerns do they have? How do they research solutions? The more you can zero in on the ins-and-outs of your audience, the more informed and effective your marketing efforts will be.
Quick Tip: Instead of segmenting your audience based on attributes like job title or industry, group your contacts based on issues or problems they may have, like service quality or price sensitivity.
2. Tailor Communication
With a solid handle on who your various audiences are, you can then dig into how to communicate to them. Exploring the nuances of pain points, unmet needs and unrecognized opportunities gives you the insight to craft the right messaging to address those issues.
Quick Tip: You be the client. Pitch yourself on your business and keep making excuses or raising concerns about why you’re not sold. A bonus would be to survey clients and prospects to see what their motivations and pain points are.
3. Shape the Message Vehicle
With an understanding of audiences and pain points, you can choose the best forums and vehicles to reach your buyers. This final step sheds light on what type of content you need, what format you need it in and how you might be able to get it in front of your audience segments.
Quick Tip: Audit your website and marketing material. What do you already have created? What has been most effective? How are you deploying it?
Laying the Foundation
The foundation process is critical to efficiency and effectiveness in marketing. Without starting with your key buyer groups and their motivations, your marketing plan will continue on the jog while your competitors are hitting their stride.
