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You’ve perhaps heard the saying, “He could sell ice to a polar bear.” There are actually many variations of this, another one of my favorites is “She could sell a ketchup popsicle.” They say that the best salesmen can sell anything to anyone. That may be so, but we aren’t all the best salesmen, and don’t we end up with higher customer satisfaction if we spend our time selling our things to the people who really need them?
In this post, I’m going to share a bit about how to identify who your target market is, where to find them, and how to connect with them. You can’t be everything to everyone, so let’s figure out what your best offer is and figure out how to find the people who need it.
You Don’t Have to Offer Everything
Let me repeat that. You don’t have to offer everything. When I started Digital Darcy in 2019, I initially had “website creation and management via WordPress.org” listed as one of my services. I created this website 100% on my own, as well as the website for my lifestyle blog. But, as I progressed in my business I realized that though I am fully capable of doing it, it isn’t something I particularly enjoy, nor am I very efficient at it.
The reason that having a good website created for your business isn’t cheap is that it takes more time than anyone realizes, and if it isn’t your strongest skill it takes even longer. So, after a few months of being in business, I decided to pull that service offering from my list of services. There are other people out there that can make websites better and more efficiently than me. I don’t have to do it all. Instead, I do what I’m best at, which is social media and content writing.
Who Is Your Target Market?
So, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. No matter what your business is, you already know who your target market is. It may not be something you’ve ever put a lot of conscious thought into, but if we got on the phone right now and I asked you this question, you would be able to answer it.
Basically, your target market consists of the people who need the goods or services that you are offering, and they have the money and desire to buy it from you.
Note: If you are a service-based provider selling Business-to-Business (B2B), this is more commonly called your ideal customer. In the Business-to-Consumer (B2C), it’s called your target market. Whatever you call it, the concepts are very similar.
You need to know who needs what you have to offer, so you can properly find them, and market and sell it to them.
You won’t know how to market to your target audience properly until you know who they are. So, it’s also important to identify the demographics of your target market – are they male or female, how old are they, what is their approximate household income, do they have children, how old are their children, what do they do for fun?
Let’s use my business as an example.
I help small businesses increase their online presence by offering a variety of digital marketing needs.
My ideal customer is a small business owner who is too busy and/or doesn’t fully know how to properly market their business online, yet can’t afford to hire and/or doesn’t need a full-time marketing person. They recognize the need for their business to have an online presence but don’t really know where to start. Depending on their comfort level and budget, their needs are all different. Perhaps they just need some education, or they may need some help planning a strategy every couple of months, or they may want ongoing help. They may not know what they need, just that they need help. As far as demographics go, they are male or female business owners, ages anywhere from 30 to 70. They may be local to me or not – thanks to the beauty of social media, I have clients nationwide.
So, think about your business for a few minutes. Think about your target audience. Who are they?
How to Reach your Target Market
Once you have figured out exactly who your customers are, you can tailor your marketing specifically to them. You can use this information to determine where the best places to advertise are, based upon where your audience is located, and you can also create your message around what they would be interested in and/or what they need help with.
We’ll use my business as an example again.
For my local market
I am a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. This is an affordable way to get local exposure, and I am invited to networking events and vendor shows. I also read the local newspaper to keep informed of what is going on, I have business cards hanging on bulletin boards in a variety of public places, and I participate in other area events (like the county fair) as applicable.
For local, regional and national markets
I have social media accounts for my business on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. I post on those platforms regularly using best practices. Also on Facebook, I am a member of local, regional, and national groups that allow me to promote my business on a regular basis. I maintain a Google presence by having a Google My Business listing and by updating my website and this blog on a regular basis. Regular email newsletters also get sent out to my subscribers.
Mine is kind of broad because these are all places where small business owners can be found, and they are my target market. Everyone’s marketing plan will look a bit different, depending on what you sell, where you are selling it, and what your goals are.
Think about what you sell. Is your market local, regional, and/or national? Where is your target market hanging out, and how can you reach them?
Let’s use a local restaurant as an example. Newspaper and radio advertising might be great traditional advertising methods for you. Online, you should have a Facebook page and join some local Facebook groups that allow promotions. Paid ads on Facebook can also be a reasonable and effective marketing tool. Whoever your target market is, it’s very highly likely that they are on Facebook.
Sending the Right Message to your Target Market
So, now you know who your target market is and where you can find them. Next, it’s also important to send the right message in your advertising.
As I promote Digital Darcy to my ideal customer, I want to speak to what they are needing help with. I don’t want to post on my Facebook page every day with a message that says, “Hire me to manage your social media.” I want to post content that they are interested in – content that they will engage with and remember.
Some Examples
To do that, I think about what struggles small business owners might be facing in regard to their social media. Then, I can offer some useful information and/or tips and have the focus message be more like this:
- “Are you struggling to keep up with Facebook’s recent changes? I offer training sessions either in-person or online!”
- “Do you want to post daily on your Facebook page, but you just don’t have time? Let’s discuss your needs.”
- “Do you struggle coming up with ideas for what to post to your social media account? I’d be happy to help you create a plan.”
In other words …
Don’t post, “Come to my restaurant for dinner!”
Instead, how about, “Don’t feel like doing the dishes tonight? Our special is a sirloin steak with a baked potato and vegetables for $10.95.”
See the difference?
So, What’s the Next Step?
Once you are clear on who your target market is and where the best places to market to them are, you have the pieces you need to put your marketing plan together. As you do this, it will help you stay on task and post consistently to your social media.
Just keep thinking about your target market, what they need, why they need it, and how you can help them.
