How to Speak to Your Target Market

“How do you speak to your target market?”

We hear that question all the time from our private coaching clients and entrepreneurs who attend our Small Business Marketing Plan Bootcamps and who invest in our online program, The Small Business Marketing Plan.

Our overall answer begins this way: When you want to speak to your target market, you are planning to put the right message, in the right place, at the right time, so that when your target market is looking for you, your message is there waiting for you.

In this blog, let’s discuss the first part of that answer, The Right Message. The most important thing to keep in mind when you speak to your target market is to remember that she is looking to solve HER challenge, not yours. Approach your message from her point of view.

This is true whether you are speaking to your target market in person, via email, or on video.

Here is an example from a recent encounter while we were teaching our most recent Monthly Marketing Monday at the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce (The 5 Marketing Mistakes That Will Kill Your Business). Cottonwood, Arizona is next to Sedona and, like Sedona, derives much of its income from tourists visiting the area. One of the Chamber of Commerce executives, Karen Pfeifer was asked to create a 45-second radio ad that would speak to locals, in the hope of developing ‘local tourism dollars’ in addition to out-of-state visitors. She asked me to look over what she wrote and give some suggestions.

Here is the original ad Karen wrote:

Hi, I am Karen, Manager of the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. Come visit us at our new location at 849 Cove Parkway, in Cottonwood.

We have maps for getting around our roads and for off road and hiking. We also have information on our local attractions, Indian ruins, great restaurants and wine tasting. Our old town area is a great place to sit and relax or do some shopping.

We are open 9:00-5:00 Monday through Friday and if we have a volunteer available on Saturday and Sunday. Speaking of volunteers, we are taking applications for volunteers who want to join our team. Come in or call me 928 634-7593, and find out how you can become a volunteer.

All the facts are included, but what was missing was what was in it for the listener. Remember that when you speak to your target market, they might not be interested in hearing about you, but they sure as shootin’ want to hear about them and what you have that is in their best interest.

Here is what I wrote for the Chamber. I began to speak to their target market, offering them reasons to stop by the Chamber office:

Ever played tourist in your own back yard? The Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce will show you how to create your ‘stay-cation’ with dozens of new places for you to visit.

Hi, I am Karen, Manager of the Cottonwood Chamber Visitor Center. Come visit our new location at 849 Cove Parkway.
We have maps for getting around our roads and for off road and hiking. We also have info on our local attractions like Indian ruins and wine tasting.

We’re open 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, and, if volunteers are available, on Saturday and Sunday, too.

Speaking of volunteers, we’re looking for vibrant volunteers to join our Cottonwood Chamber team. Come in or call me at 928 634-7593, and find out how. That’s 928-634-7593.

My goal was to get the attention of the people who would most likely take the Chamber up on its offer of free information. By beginning with a question, you capture the attention of all those who would answer YES. Those were the only people we were targeting.

Remember this rule:

When you want to speak to your target market, begin with what will capture their attention. One last point: When you speak to your target market, you must remember that you probably have more than one primary target market. We recommend you prepare messages for each of them. Then you can place those messages, using the proper tactics, in the right places.

By the way, this isn’t the first blog we’ve written to help you with your target market. A few years ago, we used Bob Dylan as an example of someone who clearly knows his target market.

Recently, we shared a story from one of our clients, Angie, and the time she has saved by remembering to only speak to her target market.

Even more recently, we wrote about how to use images that speak to your target market, rather than stock photos which typically don’t.

Would you like assistance when you speak to YOUR target market?

Connect with us at info@YuloffCreative.com. Or you can head to www.FreeMarketingConsultation.com. You will first be shown a brief assessment, then be provided a link to view our calendar. Please choose a time that works best with your schedule for a free 30-minute review and planning session with us.

We look forward to helping you, too!

PS  Would you be so kind as to subscribe to our YouTube channel? YouTube has changed its rules again and we need more subscribers in order to change the url. If you’d like us to do the same for you, please send us an email (info@YuloffCreative.com) with a link to your channel. Thank you in advance!