Identify your target, then build your marketing strategy.
By Roy Harryman
When it comes to marketing, most small-business people want to step directly into tactics. Tactics are the nuts and bolts of communication, such as:
Which social media platform should I use?
Should I start a podcast?
What about an email newsletter?
These are all valid questions. But you can’t start with them. I can’t blame anyone for wanting to begin here. Honestly, it’s easier than doing the hard thinking required to market effectively.
First things first
We must begin by clearly identifying our goals. What do we want marketing to do for us?
The second thing we must do is identify our ideal client. Who is she? What do we know about her?
Once we’ve definitively answered these questions, then it’s time to talk tactics.
But not before!
Creating your strategy
Your goal should be to invest the vast majority of your resources into as few tactics as possible. Why is that?
Because each tactic, whether it be direct mail, email or YouTube videos, requires a degree of specialization, a different approach and a ton of work. Let’s look at the three tactics I just named.
Direct mail
Mailings require graphic design, printing and postage. All mailers must meet rigid postal rules or they’ll be rejected by Mr. Postman. You’ll likely also need to work with a direct mail company, which has access to lists and can coordinate bulk mailing. In addition, you’ll have to make sure you’re ready to deliver on anything your direct mail piece is advertising.
Email
Email marketing requires you to have a reliable email list. Never buy a list. Reputable people do not sell them. And if you send to one of these black-market lists, inbox providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) will tag your emails as spam and your prospects won’t see them. Bulk email marketing also requires a vendor, such as MailChimp or Constant Contact, that provides software to make distribution to large lists possible. If you use Gmail or Outlook (or the like) for bulk mailing, you’ll end up in the spam file.
YouTube
As we’ve discussed, a video in and of itself will do nothing for your business. If it’s terrible, it may hurt you. So, you must create quality videos or just skip it. In addition, merely posting them to YouTube does not guarantee views. You must be active on the channel, develop a subscriber base and have multiple ways to share the video (a blog, website, other people’s websites, etc.).
Each of these three ideas requires careful planning, trusted partners and sweat equity. If you can narrow the field of options, you have a more reasonable chance of succeeding.
Matchmakers
In order to succeed, you need to – as best as you can – match your audience with the marketing tactics likely to reach them. Here, you cannot go with your gut. You need unbiased information.
When it comes to social media, an excellent resource is the Pew Research Center, which publishes regular reports on Americans and their use of social media.
This report helps separate hype from fact. For example, although X (formerly Twitter) receives constant media attention, only 1 of 5 Americans use it. Compare this to 69 percent for Facebook and 40 percent for Instagram. More than 80 percent of Americans have watched a YouTube video. (Statistics are valid as of this writing.)
Now, those statistics are important. But what matters most are the habits of your particular customers and prospects. The best information you can get is by communicating with them directly.
Finally, talk to trusted friends who are in business and who have spent money on marketing. What did they do? What worked? What didn’t? How do they know?
While you don’t want to get stuck in the paralysis of analysis, any time spent researching your market is well invested. Take careful aim before pulling the trigger on expenditures. What worked for others may not work for you and vice versa.
Your marketing should be characterized by focus, not frenzy.
Roy Harryman is the author of “Small Business, Big Impact: A No-Nonsense Marketing Strategy For Companies That Do More With Less.” This column is an excerpt from the book.