One of the most important aspects of creating a business plan and a marketing plan is to have a well-defined target audience.
But how do you reach that audience? How do you get that audience to engage with your brand?
It’s one thing to know who your ideal customer is, but it’s another thing entirely to connect them with your business. Without connecting with your audience, it will be difficult to grow and scale.
When you look at the top businesses in any industry, they all have a true connection with their audience. Not only do they have consumer loyalty, but their customers are freely willing to recommend their friends and family to that brand. This allows them to remain a few steps ahead of their competitors.
Whether you’re operating a start-up company or are looking to scale your small or mid-sized business, there are many lessons we can learn about connecting with a target audience.
Consider these five strategies:
Be where your audience is. Instead of expecting your audience to come to you, why not meet them where they’re already spending their time? Social media, for example, remains the top online destination for most people. Facebook boasts 2.89 billion active monthly users. Not accounts. Active users! Instagram boasts 1 billion active users. This doesn’t even include the users on YouTube, Twitter, or Snapchat! If your marketing strategy doesn’t have a strategic plan for social media, then it will be difficult to connect with your audience. Being active on social media allows your brand to remain relevant, reach new audiences, and showcase your services and products. The best part? It’s free. Sure, you can take things to the next level through boosted posts and social advertising, but organic posts can help you connect with your audience immediately.
Respond to questions, concerns, or complaints. Like personal relationships, business relationships are a two way street. Unfortunately, it’s easy to feel like business is a one-way street. Many business owners feel that “my company provides the products and services, and that’s it!” But life isn’t that simple. Your audience will communicate with you through questions, concerns, or complaints. How you handle these inquiries will determine whether these people become repeat customers or take their business elsewhere. Let’s say a user asks a question via the comments section on your latest social media post. If you don’t answer the question, then other users will notice and will take mental note. It might not cause immediate damage to your business, but people will have the impression that you don’t take customer service seriously. On the other hand, if you quickly respond to concerns or comments on social media, people will understand that you will also treat them with that same level of respect. This doesn’t apply just on social media. Whether someone emails, calls, or raises a concern in-person, be sure to take the comments seriously and respond kindly and professionally.
Don’t forget about your current clients. When you want to grow and scale your business, it’s easy to focus only on acquiring new customers. However, it’s important to remember your current clients and to keep them loyal. Why? Because if you attract new customers but lose your current customers, then your business won’t grow. You’ll simply begin churning through your customer base. This is why so many businesses have loyalty or rewards programs. These programs are designed to keep current customers happy and engaged! So how do you grow with your current clients? First, it’s important to have a business plan so that you can avoid potential pitfalls that come with growth. Second, it’s important to not get caught up in quick, unplanned growth. Growing strategically will allow you to keep your current clients happy while also reaching out to new audiences. And don’t forget, happy clients are clients who are more likely to refer your business to their friends. So keep them happy!
Ask for feedback. Here’s the thing: when you ask for feedback, you’re showing your audience that you care. This is one of the most meaningful ways to connect. This simple act says, “I value your opinion.” Whether it’s a survey, poll on social media, or simply asking a customer for their thoughts in person, it’s important to ask your audience how they feel and perceive your business. People love sharing their opinion. Sometimes, there may be a disconnect between your experience as a business and your customers’ experience, so asking for feedback makes sure that both parties are on the same page.
Talk about your values. What’s your mission statement? How is your business currently trying to make that mission statement a reality? Simply talking about your values and being open about what’s important to you will help you connect immediately with your audience. This might sound like it doesn’t matter, but it’s an important factor if you want to connect with your ideal customers. Think about it this way: there are restaurants for vegans, vegetarians, gluten free folks, and much more. There are even restaurants that specialize in farm-to-table food. While these restaurants might not be as “big” as fast food restaurants, they have loyal followings. Why? Because these restaurants have connected with their target audience. People with these dietary needs or moral obligations know that these establishments value their diets. Similarly, if you don’t talk about your values and mission, then how can the right audience possibly find you and connect with you? Talk about your values often, but more importantly, be sure to actually implement them in your business!
How many of these strategies do you use for your business?
At Exceptional Services, we specialize in helping small and mid-sized businesses implement these tactics (and much more) to grow and scale to the next level.
Interested in learning more? We would love to help you develop strategies to connect with your target audience!
Simply email info@exceptionalserviceagency.com or call 504-533-8859 today.
We can’t wait to hear from you!