It's a common conflict in marketing - thoughts vs. reality!
Our thoughts (as business owners) can be a mile away from the reality of our customers'/clients'/community's needs and wants.
A really simple example is the social media post. How often do you curate a great post all about your product/service/business only for it to land flat but the one abut your dog/cat/child gets amazing results? 🤪
Photo credit: Wix, September 2022
But what happens when the stakes are higher and you're spending the marketing budget, trying something new or moving into another market? You don't want your thoughts clouding reality then. Yet, I see it regularly with clients.
Clients can be convinced X, Y or Z marketing activity or approach is the answer but when I question and dig deeper, they're not sure why or what the outcome might be. And often they're spending money unnecessarily or with little return on their investment. They have a solution but it's not geared towards their customer or overall business goals. Here are a few examples...
The health and wellbeing client that thought one of their services was only for female customers but in reality over 70% were male.
The professional services client who thought Facebook ads were essential but in reality they had a low Facebook presence and admitted their ideal customers weren't really on Facebook.
The accountancy client who wanted to enter a new market and thought it looked like A but in reality it looked like B.
And I've been there too! Our business is often a huge part of our make up and we think we know best. Sometimes we do. But not always. It might feel a bit uncomfortable to be asked questions, for someone to dig into your business and marketing approach but without that broader understanding and insight, you may head down a a path that's not quite right.
Photo credit: Unsplash, September 2022
So, how can you sense check your thoughts vs. reality on your marketing?
Always base your marketing activity on some kind of customer insight - even if that's a chat with a few of your key customers or on the back of a simple questionnaire!
Put yourself in your customer's shoes (a marketing cliché I know) - think, feel and do as your customer would, not you
Measure and monitor your existing marketing activity - what's working (or not), what should you change, adapt or stop?
Get another perspective - find someone that thinks differently to you, that has a different character type perhaps, and ask their opinion or view
Test and trial your thoughts - it's a sensible way to gauge the reality before committing full budget, time or resources.
If you'd like some support to sense-check your marketing and perhaps give a different perspective, I offer a 2 hr 1:1 strategy session. This includes looking at your existing marketing approach, uncovering any gaps/niggles, prioritising your marketing activity and discussing new ideas or next steps. If you'd like more details or to book,