Recently, we’ve been answering some Marketing FAQs- from what a marketing strategy is to why you need one. Now we’re diving deeper into some of the key parts of a marketing strategy. Let’s start by answering the question; “Where should I start with my marketing strategy?”
When building a marketing strategy, you should start by identifying your audience. It is the foundation that everything else builds upon. To help that sink in, here’s a helpful visual.
We like to frame branding and marketing in terms of asking a girl out-
“If marketing is the strategy and tactics of asking the girl out, then branding is why she says yes.”
How? Picture this- you’ve been eyeing that girl from your local coffee shop for weeks now and you’ve finally worked up the courage to ask her on a date. How will you do it? Throw rocks at her window and recite a sonnet when she pulls back the curtains? Keep it simple with a nervous phone call or quick conversation while you’re walking to your cars? Get her name tattooed on your calf or shaved onto the side of your head? The options are endless. And on top of that, the approach you choose could make or break her response. Yikes! Sure, you could risk it all and take a random guess at what might work, or you could use what you know about her to make an informed decision about what to say to get the yes you’ve been hoping for.
Marketing is the same way!
If you don’t have a clue who your customer is, how do you know what to say to get them to say yes to your product or service? How will you know where to find them? Understanding your audience will save you from wasting time and resources sharing your message in the wrong places with the wrong people.
A helpful exercise in understanding your audience is building out client profiles. The process of thinking through the pain points and desires of your customer is pivotal in shaping your approach to your messaging, and the finalized profiles then become your true north for navigating your efforts in the marketplace. As you think deeply about your audience, you’ll gain valuable insights into what key differentiators you should emphasize to start getting conversions. Once you know what they want to hear, you can adjust your messaging accordingly. For example, when you designate Amy from the coffee shop as your primary client profile, you’ll note that she loves folk music. From there, the best approach to asking her out becomes clear – quote one of her favorite songs and then offer to take her to a concert on your first date. She won’t know how she got so lucky!
(The branding side of the equation plays a large role in customer decisions as well, but we’ll get into that another time.)
Developing client profiles and helping you understand your audience is a central part of our Marketing Workshop. Over the course of our time as an agency, we’ve figured out some key questions to ask and handy exercises to walk through to gain key details for customer profiles. From there, we hash out what approaches to your messaging and tactics would be most effective to reach your market. It’s a beautiful process!
Want some more of your marketing questions answered? Interested in a Marketing Workshop?
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