As a small business owner, you likely already recognize the importance of connecting with your target market in a way that compels them to act. After all, you wouldn’t be able to grow your company if it weren’t for your clients’ support and continued loyalty in regard to your products and services.
This makes that particular segment of the population absolutely critical to your business success. So, how do you speak to them in a way that makes them listen to and want to buy from you even more? There are a few options to consider.
Think Like Your Ideal Client
As Spider Graham, contributing writer to The Business Journals, points out in his article titled 5 steps you must take to reach your target customer, “While you certainly want to promote your brands and services in a positive light, you also need to be willing to put yourself in the shoes of your target customers as often as possible….Taking this step better allows you to create marketing messages and campaigns that fully address possible brand concerns and objections before they occur.”
Take a moment right now and try to think like your ideal client does. Now, considering the product or services you are offering him or her, what benefits do you provide that may stand out as more important? These are the things you want to highlight in your marketing materials.
Additionally, what objections might you have that could prevent you from hitting the “Buy Now” button? Addressing these up front and helping your target market overcome them almost before they occur is one effective way of dealing with them before they stop your clients from making a purchase.
Speak Their Language
The harder someone has to work to understand whatever it is you are trying to say, the more likely you are to lose any sort of connection you have with them. That is why it is important to speak to them using their own language, making it easier for them to feel as if you “get” who they are and are talking directly to them.
This means familiarizing yourself with the slang and terminology they commonly use. It also requires that you learn how they interact with those around them. To do this, take the time to read some forums that they participate in online or check out their social media accounts. Better yet, talk to them in person and see what type of language they respond to best.
Go Where They Already Are
Remember the old adage, “If you build it, they will come”? Well, we all know that this isn’t true in business because you will get better results if you meet your consumers wherever they already are. In fact, the less work it is to do business with you, the more likely it is that you will become their sole product or service provider.
So, where is your target market? Where do they hang out and spend a lot of time, both online and in the real world? What websites or print publications do they enjoy reading that you could potentially work with either as a contributor or supporter? The more you put yourself in their line of sight, the more noticeable you will be.
Get Them to Do Most of the Work for You
No, you can’t afford to pay your entire target market to get them to spread the word about how fabulous your company is, but you can get them to do most of the work for you. How? Simply utilize social media in a way that makes them want to share and promote your posts. This way, they are telling their friends (who are also likely in your target market) about your business, offering a sense of social proof that brings in more customers but requires very little effort on your part.
Anheuser Busch does a great job of this with their patriotic videos that they produce every year for the Super Bowl halftime show. Those are shared by thousands of people, which means that all they have to do is create them. Their fans and customer base do the rest.
Remember this when creating your own posts. What type of written content, picture, or video could you come up with that your target market would likely share? Again, check out the social media sites they are on to come up with some ideas. See which ones seem to elicit the biggest response.
Do these four things and your target market will be closer to you than ever.
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