Where are your clients? Where do they spend their time? What keeps them up at night? These questions are vital to your ability to effectively reach your target market. The basic premise of sales has not changed but how you implement it has.
There are a few very basic steps you need to take to effectively build a niche marketing campaign.
Step 1 – Identify Your Target Market. Who are your clients? Don’t say ‘Anyone.’ If that’s your answer, you need to rethink your marketing platform ASAP. No company or organization is a good fit for everyone. When we bring on a new client, we assess their current marketing strategy and make recommendations based on many varying factors like market trends and competitor analyses. If you don’t know who you service, how can you speak to their needs?
It’s not uncommon for a company to try a one-size fit all approach. We strongly discourage this. It’s much easier if you streamline the process. By being more strategic, you can speak directly to your target market and their needs. We had a client who was hosting an annual fundraiser. The median age of the attendees was late fifties, early sixties. The client expressed a desire to bring in a younger crowd and she wanted to design a save the date that would attract both groups. Not only is it is highly unlikely that any single piece of marketing would work for both groups but it’s also unlikely that the event itself would be attractive both. Marketing is better served when you focus on bringing in more of your target group instead of attempting to expand into a market where you don’t really fit.
Begin by creating customer profiles. Interview current clients and find out what makes them tick. In this way, you are better equipped to help them solve their problems. Remember – this is about them – not you.
Step #2 – Create a Marketing Calendar. This is an extremely important step. Your marketing calendar serves as a blueprint and identifies what messaging you will use and what channels you will use to distribute that message. As a general rule of thumb, companies should spend around 5 percent of their total revenue on marketing to maintain their current position. Companies looking to grow or gain greater market share should budget a higher percentage—usually around 10 percent.
In order to select the most effective marketing vehicles, we need to go back to step #1. You wouldn’t use the same strategy for stay-at-home moms that you would for single men who travel frequently. Their needs are different, where they spend their time is different.
You have many options from social media, to direct mail, to email marketing to lead generation through your website. Figuring out what works best is key to engaging potential customers.
Step #3 – Make certain your branding materials are well designed and your Brand Identity speaks to your target market. There is nothing worse than a website that doesn’t work well or a brochure with spelling errors. It speaks volumes about your Brand and will lose you more customers than it gains. Your brochure, social media properties, business cards, website – everything should have a consistent look and deliver a uniform message wrapped in a pleasingly aesthetic package.
Step #4 – Use Metrics to determine effectiveness. We are in an age of metrics. Every campaign should measure its level of effectiveness. If you have no means of gauging effectiveness, you have no way to know what is working or how well it’s working. Google Analytics for websites, Email Service Providers such as MailChimp or Constant Contact and Content Marketing Services like Hubspot all have systems in place to allow you to track and monitor the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Take advantage of the benefits of marketing in the digital age. Find your niche.
We Can Help
3D Studios helps businesses grow their influence and their brands. As a boutique brand management agency, we begin with a thorough analysis of your needs and partner with you to develop and execute a marketing plan that will help you take your business to the next level. To learn more about how 3D Studios can help you, visit us at www.3Dstudios.net or call 914-304-4229.
