Know your audience. Sounds obvious.
You need to know WHO your audience really is and HOW you can help them.
In fact, knowing your audience is one of the most important things you can do when trying to establish yourself as an authority in your market. I have written this blog for small business owners who sell a product or service, whether you are just starting out or already established.
This goes beyond just creating a quick overview of your average customer. Instead, spend time on the same websites, in the same circles, and on the same platforms that they do. Engage with your customer on Instagram and Facebook. I know, I know, it takes up so much time. Even 10 minutes a day is so worth it!
Get to know the top, burning questions in your market. Find out what makes people tick, what they are responsive to, and what their triggers are. This will go the distance in later helping you create laser-targeted, effective marketing campaigns that will resonate with your core audience.
Always put yourself in your customers’ shoes. They don’t care about your personal goals – they care only about themselves and their needs – and above all else, how you will help them solve a problem.
Read that again: you’re the only one who truly cares about your business growth. Everyone else cares about how your business can personally help them.
This means that your focus should always identify key areas in your market where people are struggling.
Then you can use that information in many different areas of your business, such as: coming up with customized products and services that fill that need, developing a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that offers a promise to solve that problem, and creating marketing campaigns that trigger your audience into taking action.
Thorough market research is the key to success in gaining the advantage of becoming an authority.
Those who overlook the importance of truly understanding their audience even before they create a business plan or launch a marketing campaign will quickly discover just how difficult it is to gain traction.
In fact, without knowing your audience, you’re venturing into a market blindfolded with little chance of success.
On the flip side, putting time and effort into researching your market and connecting with your core audience early on will make all the difference in your ability to create in-demand products and services that are a no-brainer for your customer base.
You’ll be able to stand out from the crowd, position yourself as an expert and easily convince people to give your brand and business a chance.
And your marketing campaigns will be far more successful and ultimately cost you less in terms of time spent tweaking and split-testing campaigns because you’ll know what makes people tick.
If you already have active marketing campaigns in your niche, take a good look at your campaigns from their side of things. Be objective and see if it truly answers their questions and addresses their primary goals, fears, or concerns.
Are your ads mainly geared towards highlighting features rather than the benefits?
Are your campaigns structured in a way that personally connects with your core audience and goes to work at solidifying your brand?
Do they help position you as an expert?
When it comes to the psychology behind successful brand building and authority positioning, it often hinges on your ability to demonstrate empathy.
The more you do this, the easier it will resonate with your audience and connect with your customer base. You’ll come off as more personable, approachable, and as someone who truly has their best interests at heart.
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