Don’t Choose Your Marketing Channel Until You Do This…

Here’s a tale of two marketing tips — one right on, the other off the mark. 

It starts with a question posted to an online forum:  

How can I generate leads for my graphic design business?  

Two people responded.  

The first person wrote 272 words… 

…loaded with one recommendation after another. Use LinkedIn. Try XING (“for German-speaking countries”). Don’t forget about Facebook. Sprinkle in some SEO. And, “You should definitely consider doing some ads on Google, as well.”  

On and on and on it went.  

The second person offered a 19-word nugget. I’ll boil it down to five words:  

Who is your target market?  

Bingo! 

I know, that’s not an explicit tip, but it’s the right response.  

Here’s the implied tip:  

Don’t choose marketing channels
until you identify your target market
and craft powerful stories for that market. 

Who are your prospects? Where do they reside? Are they searching for information re: what you sell? What language do they speak? (Bonus tip: If they don’t speak German, don’t advertise on XING).  

Marketing is a three-legged stool:  

1. Market — Who are you trying to reach?

2. Message — What will you say to your prospects to attract them, keep them tuned in and inspire them to act? 

3. Media — What channels will you use to deliver your message to your market? 

The media-first crowd (see 272-word tipster above) gets it backwards. They urge you to try this channel or that. They pitch some fancy funnel or magnificent marketing machine. 

But they can’t even tell you whether the recommended channel or tactic aligns with your market and message.  

Start with two questions:  

Who is my ideal prospect (market)?  

What are the powerful stories I can deliver to attract and inspire this market?  

Then, fire up your campaign on XING — or whatever channels fit.