You are not your target market. This simple sentence is powerful.
Are you hanging around with peers, or customers?
Quit hanging around with your own people. Go find the customers.
I see many business owners or freelancers talking to their peers online and not talking to their target market.
For example, I hear photographers saying they are hanging around online photography forums. Unless other photographers are your target market, that’s not marketing. (It might be research or networking, but those are different goals.)
Think about (better yet, track) where you spend your time online. Are you talking mostly with peers? Do you spend your time talking with others who do the same thing? That time does not count as marketing. Redirect your marketing time to listening to and interacting with your target market.
How do you find your target market online? You ask them. Sounds simple, but few businesses actually do it.
See also:
You are not your target market Part 2: What you like doesn’t equate into what customers like.
You are not your target market Part 3: You know too much.
You are not your target market: How to get more volunteer participation.
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Funny, I was just having this conversation with someone today… Thinking back on Blogworld LA I mentioned how I find it silly that some people hang out with the same group of peers that they see all the time rather than taking this event as an opportunity to meet and connect with new faces.
I find that such a shame.
And yes, I can see this happening just as much in the online space. In my niche (real estate) it’s Agents connecting with other Agents. And though yes, that’s a form of networking, it’s not as effective as working to build relationships with consumers.
Ricardo, having made a lot of friends in the BlogWorld group, I understand why we want to talk to friends, rather than meet new people. It’s not easy, but I do work to balance the two.
Definitely something that I need to remember – to find the customers and build a relationship with them, instead of spending all my time networking. Thanks for the reminder!
Courtney, thanks for reading and commenting!
Social media is a good place to get feedback from your actual customers.