Easy Marketing 2022 style

Oct 20, 2022
6 min read

Updated: Dec 29, 2022

Created 19.10.22

What business am I really in? | Who is my ideal customer? | Who has my customer? | How do I get shared customers? |

Coming Soon: How to avoid social sameness on social media?

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What business am I really in?

Grant Leboff says all business owners really run two businesses. The one they know they run and also a media business. It's an interesting concept and one I believe shows how seriously we should take our communications and attraction strategies. This post is not a deep dive into these complex and time consuming issues but is aimed to point you in the right direction, for you to further investigate as need be. I'd like you to pause for a moment and consider what is your big idea and why it's significant. Before you know what's needed you must really know what you do and more importantly why you are doing it.

Who is my ideal customer?

Again we could look deeply at buyer persona and other strategies but for now take a moment to consider who is your ideal customer. How old are they? Where do they live? What are their interests, styles, etc. Knowing this information will stop you from looking in the wrong places for them and wasting money on awareness. Leave awareness to the big guys with deep pockets.

Now this process can be tricky, you must be prepared to discount the stragglers from overlapping groups and concentrate on where most of your interest comes from. If you have it, use historical data, though not to old. If you don't have it ask your target group. Most people are happy to talk about themselves so long as you are genuinely interested, especially if they think you value their opinion. Don't then try to sell to them though, that's a big no-no at this stage. Once you know who your customer is they are easier to locate.

Who has my customer?

What we are looking for here is close targeting with a creative twist. Now you have figured out who your customer is, it's easier to find out where they hang out both online or in real life. You'll have a good idea of things like where they work, venues they frequent and so forth. Don't look at your competitors they won't help you. Next you need to meet your customer in some delightful way.

A good example of this was when Foxes made the Party Rings Mini, they collaborated with Alton Towers. Alton Towers gave everyone a bag of Minis as they left the park. It was good for Alton Towers because people were committed to leaving and would no longer be purchasing food in the park, but they were giving a little extra feel good factor. All they needed was a few staff who were there anyway to hold the open boxes. As a result of this action, a product I would not have bought, became a family favourite. We buy them because we remember that experience and it brings us joy.

I know you probably couldn't do something on this scale but those collaborations are out there. You do need to be able to spot a non opportunity though. I had a balloon decorating business for many years, after the first year, of doing a lot of work for charity I realised that doing this work which was time consuming and costly, didn't win me business. This is because people were always looking at my work as being attractive and fun - that's what it was designed to do and not at what I could do for them. The pitfall here was that they weren't my customer in the first place and I hadn't created a place where they were only thinking of me for them to discover how my business could benefit them. I stopped doing this work. Instead I told charity enquirers that if wanted my work then must purchase the balloons from me and I would donate the teams time if I thought it would add value for us both. This process removed the tyre kickers and shows everyone you know your value. That worked. The reason I told them they must used my materials is because that way I could be sure of the quality and was standard practice for me anyway.

Consider a local jewellery maker might be tempted to put a few pieces in the local busy hair saloon. A few will sell, most will gather dust. However, a little organza bag given to the target customer as she leaves with a pretty charm and personal note from the jeweller, pressed into the hair salon customer's hand and kind words from the hair dresser to accompany, will add the feel good factor and getting her checking out the jewellers work, she will also remember the hair experience more fondly. Both businesses win.

The key to the success of the Party ring story was timing. People had a long walk back to the car and were hungry with little else to do. If you want them thinking seriously about you then there are a mix of ingredients you need. Here is a little check list to help your creative juices flow.

When choosing a partner business whom you think has your customer...

Does this organisation really have my customer?
What's in it for them to work with me?
What would I need to do to persuade them to share?
How certain am I that they will carry out the required action?
If they don't can I pivot my investment in this towards something else?

Questions about customers...

What can I give them which showcases my business without being salesy
What can I give them which is low cost but high perceived value, which they will use?
Are there many in the audience group I need to service also who add cost but won't buy?
Can I stand that cost?
What is the best point to catch them with a free headspace?
How can I make sure they can find me and make a future purchase without selling now?

We hope this helps if you are struggling with any element of this Creative Studios are able to help you figure it out.

How do I get a shared customer?

Once you've answered the above questions, getting the other business owner to see the benefit for both of you should be a straight forward conversation. It won't work every time, but will maximise your chances of success. Once you've started the connection process, be sure to follow up, with the partner business, just after the first connection to your audience. That way you can change anything you need to quickly without wasting valuable resources or damaging your image. You will also build rapport with your fellow business owner.

Next time : How do I avoid social sameness and social media?

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