You start the marketing process for your business by first asking these 3 questions.
1. Who is your customer?
For example, my marketing agency primarily helps service-based businesses with their marketing to get them new customers. So my customers are service-based business owners.
2. What are they really buying?
I personally think this is the MOST important question of the 3, and the question is what are they really buying?. Don’t think about what you’re selling, think about what your customer is actually buying.
For example, I’m selling digital marketing services, but what my customers are really buying is the dream that through engaging us for marketing services, we will bring them a large number of high quality leads, which they can then convert into more customers for their business.
So what they are buying is more customers for their business, which in turn translate to more money.
3. Why are they buying it?
Using the example from question 2, why our customers buy from us is perhaps they see us as a means to achieve a better future for their business. Specifically, they dream of transforming from struggling business owners into successful ones so they can be proud of themselves.
By working with us, they believe we have the ability to bring them the results they desire, and thus make this identity shift from struggling to successful business owner, which boosts their confidence and helps them gain the respect from their peers and family that they desire.
Bonus Question. How do you know?
So here’s where you have to put in the work to find out if the 3 questions to your answer is true or not. How do you find out? By asking the market directly. If you currently have existing customers, ask them!
If you don’t, well run some paid advertising to gain some clarity!
So to summarise here are the questions to ask yourself before you embark on any marketing efforts:
- Who is your customer?
- What are they really buying? (it is not what you are selling)
- Why are they buying it?
- How do you know?
Also wish to give credit where credit is due, I learnt this 3+1 questions from another wonderful marketer consultant Huron.