Almost every business that is founded begins with a single location and with nothing but local customers. Because having a website ensures that you have instant global access, it can sometimes be tempting for companies to become carried away with their marketing strategy. What we mean by that is that they use a digital marketing strategy to target everyone – when they should start thinking local.

Target Everyone!

Most online campaigns fail to get the desired results because they are unable to get the right targeting area. When you are busy creating content, SEO, or social media – do you ever stop to wonder whether you have the right direction that you are going in? Are you actively asking the right questions for your audience, and do you know what you are trying to do?

Know Your Base

Most business owners cast their net as wide as possible in an effort to get as many interested customers as possible. Even though this is a method that might produce some results, it does waste precious resources (both time and money). When you are narrowing your target market, you are ensuring that you reach people that you are actually interested in. Why would you want to spend money on reaching people who are never interested in your product or service?

You Need a Clear Message

It is important to understand that you cannot use the same message everywhere. You cannot expect everyone to react positively to one standard message. If you do this, you are likely to use a great deal of money on people that are not likely to be interested in what you have to offer. Especially if you are a smaller company or a start-up, you cannot afford to cast too wide a net.

Captivate Your Audience

Sure, it is great to reach a million people, but how many of those people are interested in what you are trying to sell them? It would be far better to reach those who fit in with your customer profile. If you have people who are already interested in what you are selling, a focused plan that only reaches a smaller audience can be a great way of making your mark.

Evaluate the Competition

Marketing is not just about what you are doing. Even though most traditional marketing professionals would suggest that marketing needs to accentuate your strength, it would be foolish not to pay attention to what your competitors are doing at the time. Why would you want to ignore what the competitors are doing at this very moment? 

What kind of customers are your competitors actively pursuing? Are you targeting the same audience or is there a difference? Is there a large difference in the product or service that you offer? If you find that your competition is actively looking to reach other demographics, it would mean that you might not be after the same people at all. 

Know Your Competitors

If you are both offering a similar product or service, you are going to have to find a different way to distinguish your product from your competitor’s offering. Perhaps you can deliver faster, perhaps you can deliver much cheaper, whatever might be able to set you apart. If you want to let your audience know why they should work with you rather than go to the competition, you have to be aware of it yourself. If your audience does not believe that your product or service is radically different, why would they ever have to consider doing business with you if they already know your competitor?

Staying Up to Date

As your business continues to grow, it is important that you analyze your customer information and your sales data. Remember that the customer base that is interested today might not necessarily be interested tomorrow. Add in the fact that you might find some customers in unexpected places, and you understand the need to continue to develop. As your market continues to grow, it is important that you let your data guide you forward. This is where a good digital marketing agency can guide you towards the future.

Know the Trends

The days of just blanketing a neighborhood with your information are long gone. It is no longer enough to just tell people that you exist – you need to give them a reason why they should care about the fact that you exist. If you are interested in taking your business further, if you want to continue – you need to focus. Even though it sounds counterintuitive to narrow down your audience, you have to understand the importance of reaching the right people with the right message. Once you get there, you will see better results for your investment.