Photo (CC) by One Way Stock, on Flickr
What’s the goal of a marketing program?
If you listen to marketing gurus, they talk a great deal about getting bigger numbers. Many of the tips you find focus on increasing how many people see your message or how many take time to read your content.
Those are good first steps because developing an awareness about your business is where you start.
Yet businesses are built on having people come in your store, look around and leave with a purchase. Good numbers of people seeing your business are nice, but good numbers taking action is even better.
So developing your marketing campaign means understanding your target audience. Where do your potential customers live? Where do they shop? What do they buy? And what motivates this action? The answers to these questions form part of the information you need as you develop your marketing plan.
You also need to have some knowledge regarding the marketing channels that your target audience uses. For some channels, you also need to know the time of day when your target audience most likely will see a marketing message.
Your marketing message also provides you with a chance to offer service to your customers and build a relationship so they decide to come back.
Thus, the message is that you shouldn’t be discouraged if your numbers aren’t as large as they are for other businesses. Instead, be concerned if your target audience isn’t getting the message and then taking action.
Marketing is not about numbers. It’s about results.
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Glenn Muske is an independent expert on rural small business, working as GM Consulting – Your partner in achieving small business success. He provides consulting, and writes articles for county extension agents and newspapers across North Dakota. Previously, he was the Rural and Agribusiness Enterprise Development Specialist at the North Dakota State University Extension Service – Center for Community Vitality.
