By Ed Pierce, Fleet Industry Marketer
From time to time, I receive ideas from Fleet Management Weekly “A Call to Action” column readers. Last month’s column evoked a suggestion from Anna K of Connex Direct Marketing to reprint her article entitled “Four Key Steps Toward Successful Marketing Communication. It is a great read with plenty of ideas for fleet industry firms interested in better marketing. Here is part one of that article:
In our hyper-technological world, communication methods change at an incredibly rapid pace.
First, there was email, then message boards, then instant messaging, then MySpace and Friendster, and now Facebook, Instagram, chatbots, Netflix, and dozens of other communication methods.
There are always new technologies and new ways for people to interact with others. This is also true when it comes to marketing methods and the tools that are available for marketing.
But it’s tough. With so many options and so much information out there, how can you know what is working for your business, and what isn’t? How can you create a marketing strategy that will work today?
STEP #1: Define Your Audience
When it comes to marketing, it’s critical to first figure out who your audience is. You don’t want to create such a broad marketing campaign that your business fails to connect with any specific groups, and you don’t want to make your focus so narrow that you miss out on potential sales.
Instead, identify who you want to market your product or services to, and figure out what works for them.
What do you need to know about your audience?
Pain Points
To identify your ideal demographics, determine what your business is really offering. In other words, what is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? Most businesses offer solutions that are very specific to pain points their customers feel.
For example, if you own a lawn care business, your target audience might be people who are too busy to maintain their yard. Your marketing message should communicate that your services will free up their time so that they can do the things that they need and want to do.
While analyzing the pain points that your business alleviates, imagine which demographic groups will have the greatest need. Also, consider which portion of that demographic will have a higher spending threshold. Both of these considerations will equate to quicker sales with less upfront work on your part.
Who Is Already Buying?
Another way to identify your audience is by analyzing who is already using your products or services.
What types of things do they have in common? What age group, gender, location, etc. is making the most purchases? What interests do they share?
Analyzing these questions will give you a good idea of your target market, as well as how you might expand to reach other similar groups.
Who is Your Competition Targeting?
A good way to understand who your demographic is by seeing who your competition is targeting.
You can choose to seek after the same demographic as they are likely already interested in the same type of products or services, or you can seek out new or niche audiences and fill a gap.
Next month, we will continue coverage of “Four Keys…”. Please free to contact me with questions or comments at [email protected] .
