A lot of serious discussion, and corporate hand-wringing, goes on to ensure that companies are active in every possible marketing channel. Marketing professionals, focused on analytics and performance, are constantly conjuring up new places for a company’s message to live. But do they ever stop to consider whether their market is even there?
Or are they simply trying to justify budgets by being all things to all people?
“Our offering has a fringe application to Industry X, so we should be in all the channels those possible clients are in.”
If that sounds familiar, take heart, you’re not alone.
New social media channels pop up daily, but that doesn’t mean you need to be active in every one of them. Trade magazines span entire industries, but does your market even read them? Trade shows can be powerful networking tools, but are you attending the right ones?
That billboard on the highway between Edmonton and Calgary, would it be more effective near Medicine Hat or Fort McMurray?
What about that email campaign that goes straight to the spam folder?
Have we made our point yet?
Fish where there’s fish.
More importantly, fish where there’s the right kind of fish.
Casting a line into a river full of trout and expecting to pull out a deep-sea tuna is absurd. So why is it any different when companies throw their message everywhere, hoping to catch something?
This is, of course, separate from ensuring that your message itself is clear and emotionally resonant in the first place, something we explored in Why You? 3 Tips for Great Confidence in Your Brand Building.
Having a concrete understanding of where your market actually lives, and what they’re paying attention to, is critical to putting your message in front of the right audience. Too often, the focus is on casting the widest net possible, trying to be everything to everyone.
Typically, the return on investment in those cases is terrible. No kidding.
If you’ve been following us, that shouldn’t be a surprise.
The message itself is of paramount importance. But even a great message delivered to the wrong audience, at the wrong time, and through the wrong channel is still ineffective.
Yes, we live in a social world, one that’s becoming increasingly automated. Data and analytics are essential for measuring effectiveness. But if you’re measuring the performance of the wrong channels, you’re simply wasting effort more efficiently.
Investing in a deeper understanding of your market is a far better use of limited resources.
Be curious about what your market thinks of your offering.
Go where your market already is.
In other words: fish where there’s fish. If you’re unsure where your audience actually lives, or which channels are worth your time, contact us, our brand positioning work helps clarify exactly who you’re for, what to say, and where to say it.
