In a previous post, How to target your B2B audience, I talked about determining who your customer is and isn’t, what problems you solve for them, what sets you apart, and understanding your USP (Unique Sales Position). Today I want to discuss how to reach your targeted audience once you’ve recognized them.

Ask These Open-ended Questions

Who, what, when, where, how, and why covers everything you need to know. I talked about who and what in the first post. I’ll get to why in a minute. You don’t need why until you have to sell your marketing campaign to the executive staff. Let’s talk about when, where, and how.

When

The timing of any marketing campaign can be critical to its success. Promoting a back-to-school special offer on children’s apparel in January probably will not reach the intended audience. That example may sound ridiculous but B2B organizations often make similar mistakes. Ask yourself the following.

  • When is the peak season for your product?
  • When do busy business executives have time to review your product?
  • When don’t you want to present your product?
  • When will businesses need your product?

Where

Knowing where to reach your customer, as well as where they will look for your product, is key to reaching them. It doesn’t matter how well-crafted your message is if it doesn’t reach the ears that need to hear it. For example, an Accounting firm that specializes in helping small to mid-size local businesses could find their audience in several places.

  • Join the local chamber, and then offer to speak about small business accounting.
  • Advertise in local trade and business periodicals, business radio, and if the budget allows sponsor a local business oriented TV show.
  • Sponsor events that local small businesses will attend. Why do you think banks sponsor golf outings?
  • Pinpoint potential prospects and follow them on social media.
  • Use content marketing to answer questions small businesses have. Become a local expert on accounting.

How

Where and how are related yet different. For example, one of the “where” bullet points is content marketing but knowing “how” is another matter.

Why Your Company Should Care

If you read the first post, you have a few ideas to try on identifying your target audience—the who of this topic. Today’s post focused on when, what, and how. But why does it matter? Isn’t it good enough to run an ad on the radio or post on social media? Why go through all of this who, and what, and how just to reach a B2B customer? Some of you may be even thinking, “We never did this in the old days.” And you may be right; you may not have had to. But it’s a new world and marketing is, in many ways, a new ballgame.

If you don’t learn who you target audience is and how to reach them, someone else will. Know what I mean? If you’d like some help with who, what, when-ing your target audience, contact us we’ll show you where the bull’s eye is and how to hit it.

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