There are alot of informative sites out there when it comes to marketing, communications, graphic design and small business operations and development. You could literally spend all day reading various blogs and articles, a few give new insights, most drill the same important themes over and over. I would say there are about 5 blogs that I read daily because they ALWAYS offer new insights and lessons or a slightly different view point on things which really contribute to my professional development.
Today’s guest blogger Pamela Wilson, owner of the Big Brand System, is one of those ‘must read’ bloggers for me. Her blog is devoted to helping small businesses grow through the power of great design and marketing and is overflowing with useful information.
Thanks Pamela for being a part of the Flying Pig!
I’m very excited to be invited to contribute to the illustrious Flying Pig Communications blog. Laura and I talked about this guest post last month, and I’ve wondered what topic I should cover.
Luckily, Walt Goshert, in his “Do YOU Got WOO Power?” guest post gave me the perfect inspiration.
You see, I’m one of those “ad agencies and marketing firms” he speaks of. I’ve spent 23 years helping small businesses to grow by building brands that work for them.
Walt is right: branding is much more than a pretty logo or a nice web site. It’s about the promises you make with your marketing, but – more importantly – it’s about the way you keep those promises.
He’s right about something else: you absolutely must target your efforts. This is one of the most common mistakes my clients make. They don’t take the time upfront to think through who their ideal customer is.
Trying to succeed at marketing without a clear vision of who you’re marketing to is like setting out on a trip without a destination. You must know who you want to serve with your product or service before you start building the campaign to reach them.
Once you know who you are targeting, you can set out deciding how you will tell your story in a way that resonates with your audience.
The language and marketing media you’d use to reach tech-savvy teenagers is very different from what you’d use to reach retirees with health challenges, right? Define your audience so you can speak their language.
Spend some time understanding your target market’s:
Gender
Age
Net worth
Occupation
Employment status (do they work for themselves or a company?)
How do they spend their free time?
What’s their family status (single, married, divorced)
What are their religious/political affiliations
With this information in hand, think about what motivates them, what keeps them up at night, and what problem your product or service solves for them.
Couple this knowledge with an understanding about the kinds of media your target market consumes and you’ll have the makings of a solid marketing plan that will give you “Woo Power” to spare.
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Pamela Wilson owns the Big Brand System, a blog devoted to helping small businesses grow through the power of great design and marketing.
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While setting off on a trip without a destination can sometimes be fun, if you are trying to get somewhere it’s not such a good idea. Thanks for the wonderful reminder to start with the end goal in site.
And Pamela totally rocks as a designer! She’s designed two different blogs for me and I am so thrilled with her work. Read her blog and definitely subscribe to her newsletter. She has a lot of great information and tips to help make your business efforts much better.
I love that quote from Pamela’s article as well!
Thanks so much for the comment Carole. I’m sure we are not the only two members of the Pamela Fan Club!!!
What’s all the talk about this WOO Power stuff?
It’s really Market-Message-Media. All must be in alignment. Each feeds of the others. None is more important than any of the other elements.
But, Pamela, you’re right. The focus on defining your target client determines your destination, shapes your Marketing Message (which brand design look and feel is a key component) and determines your Media choices.
Also, Pamela thanks… you reminded me of an Ideal Client worksheet I put together awhile back that I need to post and share.
Thanks Pamela and Laura,
Walt
Ohhh…..Walt…please let us know when you find that Ideal Client Worksheet!! Would love to see what sort of genius you put together with that
Walt,
I agree that they’re all equally important. I’m hoping this post will point out that while they carry the same weight, the “market” piece of the equation should be defined first, and it should be determined well before you create a campaign.
Too many people get caught up in a message they fall in love with or a graphic they want to use before they spend the time thinking about who they’re trying to reach. It’s a recipe for wasted time and money, IMO.
I’d love to see the Ideal Client worksheet, too. Post a link when you have it up!
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by lkpetrolino: Such an awesome article! Thx Pamela!! RT @pamelaiwilson: Pigs do fly, and I do guest post @lkpetrolino Flying Pig blog: http://bit.ly/cONNgF...