Module #2: Your Target Audience
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This first step is the least sexy part of starting a marketing campaign, but it’s so very important. We need to make sure there’s a client for your service. I recommend doing a little Google stalking to see what’s going on in your local area. Join a few different local wedding Facebook groups and see what brides are saying. This is not a time to sell, but a time to listen. Take notes when they post a question you are intrigued by. You might start to notice a pattern that will help you find your niche.
Find Your Niche
You have probably heard the saying, “if you are marketing to everyone, you are marketing to no one!” This is the reason why it’s so necessary to define your niche. When I first suggest this idea to new wedding planners, I often get a lot of backlash. They think that if they niche down their market, they won’t be able to book any clients. When you’re new, who can be picky, right ? But when you decide on a niche, you stop wasting your time on clients who aren’t a good fit for you. For example, I decided to specialize in wedding management. All the planners in my area loved doing full service. I learned that I hated it, and thus I was able to hone in on my wedding management skills, making them superior.
Target Audience
Knowing who your ideal client is, is the key to everything you put forth. It will help you create a website that converts, write social posts that actually get engagement, and capture the “right” clients. Knowing your target market will help you stay intentional with your marketing plan. It also means you’ll know how to better brand your business because you’re going to brand to your ideal client’s likes and wishes.
Giving Value
Content value. Why do we care about it? Because, plainly put, you are providing your audience with resources, ideas, and tools that will help them build trust in you, When you give your audience—that ideal target market audience, that is—real, tangible content value, they become loyal to your business, which is crucial to building long-lasting relationships. Whatever niche you choose, you need to become the supreme expert on the topic in your local area. This can’t just live in your head. You need to show your audience how well versed you are by providing content. . . lots and lots of content!
When we talk about a client’s pain points, we are talking about what gives them a headache and steals their motivation. A good analogy would be any wedding task that is like “pulling teeth” for a client. Your blog post will become a thousand times more valuable if you can unlock your client’s pain points. This is not an easy mission, though. So when you’re speaking to a potential client, listen to what they say. Knowing who your ideal client is will play an important role in figuring out your client’s pain points. For example, if your ideal client is the DIY-type whose pain point is finding affordable rentals, then writing about high-end table linens isn’t going to do much for her. This translates into a no sale. Your ideal client is looking for a solution to a very specific problem, and they are hoping you can solve it for them.
When figuring out your audience’s pain points, do a little cyber stalking. Pay attention to Facebook forums and Instagram posts to see what they’re struggling with. Make sure you’re hanging out in groups your ideal target market is hanging out in too. Meaning, don’t join a local bride group for DIYers if you service luxury clients. Another tip would be to survey your audience on social media with a poll or email list. Lastly, take a look at your competition. See what pain points they are addressing and follow suit.
When analyzing a client’s pain points, sometimes we actually misdiagnose the real problem. So, I caution you about taking a problem at face value. We can see this play out in our own lives. We say, “I have no time to blog,” but what we’re really saying is “I don’t know how to blog.” Spend a little time figuring out what’s underneath a pain point.