You spend a lot of
time thinking about the products and services you offer and the customers you
sell them to. But does your overall strategy have a strong focus? Are you
trying to reach anyone and everyone or are you targeting a specific segment?
It’s an important question because not even the biggest companies can be all
things to all people. To be successful, you need
to identify your niche and develop a strategy for serving it.
Before you can acquire
a new customer, you must attract his or
her attention. That means you need to know who your real customers are and what
is important to them. But how do you go about that? Here are five ways you can learn more about your niche and the best
way to serve it.
Talk to existing customers: Your customers are your
best source for information on what makes them buy
and what (and who) influences their decisions. The customers with whom
you have established relationships want you to succeed. That means they’ll be
happy to talk with you about what makes them tick.
Look at your competitors: If you are the top business
in your niche find a competitor who is closing in fast and see what they are
doing right. If you aren’t number one,
take a look at who is. Your goal isn’t to duplicate their strategies, but to
glean what works and what doesn’t.
Read reviews: Even if you don’t sell online, your
customers may be posting online. What are they saying? Are you responding to
reviews about you? These people want to
talk, and they are a great source for
learning more about your customers.
Participate in social media groups: There are hundreds
(dare we say thousands) of special interest groups who spend time online
talking about issues important to your market. Find them, join them, and become
an active member. Groups can provide you with access to valuable information
about your customers, your markets, and your competitors.
Look at keywords: Social marketers use keyword research to discover what terms people search for most often. Even
if you don’t buy online advertising, you can use keyword research to see what
customers are looking for when they go
online. That can help you narrow down the features that are most important.
With so much chatter, competition, and advertising out there
today, it can be difficult to get your target market to hear your message.
That’s why it’s important to understand what
they are looking for. If you do your homework,
you’ll be able to cut through the clutter and connect with your customer base.
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