In recent posts, I have written about a productivity framework and the time management skills…
Great Marketing – Starts With the Customer!
Understanding customers is the key to great marketing!
You can have an amazing product or service, however, if you can’t demonstrate its relevance to your customers and how it will change, or improve their world, it is unlikely you will enjoy the level of success you are seeking!
Most marketing fails because businesses focus on their product/service, not what is important to the customer!
Great Marketing: The Customer Perspective.
A key to great marketing is to recognise that, from the customer perspective, your product or service is just a tool they use to:
.
Your product or service is simply a means to an end!
Great Marketing: Define Your Customer Groups.
The first step towards great marketing is to define your major customer groups. (Trying to be “all things to all people” is a recipe for failure and an empty bank account)
Many businesses target different customer groups, for example:
“People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel!”
Maya Angelou.
Great Marketing: Beyond the Obvious.
Rather than just broad categories, great marketing requires you to drill down and define your customers in more detail:
Great Marketing: Understand Your Customers World.
After you have built a basic understanding of your customer groups, think about their world:
Importantly, what words would they use to describe their situation and how they feel?
Describe Your Customers World.
The next, and often most powerful step, is to
describe to describe your ideal customers world and lifestyle in as much detail as possible.
For example; “Michelle is a busy, time poor working mother, aged … . She has two children aged … & ….. who attend … school 30 minutes drive from her home. Michelle works 4 days per week as a ……… this requires a commute to the railway station then into the city.
Her husband is self employed as a ……… She earns $…………. pa and her husband $……………. They are buying their home in ………….suburb and have a mortgage of $…………… Her husband also has a work vehicle which is subject to finance of $40,000 and they have a credit card of $…………….
Michelle’s daily routine is……….. Her weekly routine is…………… Her hobbies are …….. She likes to spend time doing ……………. “ Michelle’s key worries (concerns, challenges, frustrations) are……”
(This involves a lot of assumptions, but it can help you position your product or service, and shape your marketing and communication).
Great Marketing: Your Product or Service Through the Customers Eyes.
Having built a picture of your ideal customers world, the next step in the great marketing process is to look at your product or service, through the customers eyes:
Other questions to consider:
.
Are There Enough Customers and Where Are They Located?
Once you have built a picture of your ideal customers, it is important to do your research to:
A great starting point to identify number and location is to use the free resource ID Data.
Where your customers go online, takes more work. However, a good starting point is to look at competitor websites, blogs, Facebook pages and Instagram feeds. Other options include eBay, Etsy etc.
You can also look at Genre, for although not detailed as ID Data, it does give a sense of Social Media usage in Australia.
Don’t Assume: Ask Your Customers!
One of the biggest mistakes we can make in business is to assume assumptions about customers are correct.
Talk to as many people as you can who fit your customer profile. You can do this one-on-one, or in groups.
In addition to confirming your assumptions, other questions to ask include:
After each question ask – Anything else?. (Stay silent and don’t prompt! Give the client time to think. This is often where “hidden needs” are revealed – the gold!)
Summary.
Great marketing starts with understanding your customer groups intimately.
Only then, are you in a position to present your offer in a way that appeals to your target audience.
By defining your target audience and understanding their world, you give yourself a powerful marketing edge.
If you want to learn more, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Bruce Hall
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