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3 Questions to Answer Before Investing in Marketing
The biggest marketing mistake I see? Jumping straight into tactics before getting the foundations right.
A business wants more customers, enquiries or better visibility, and the conversation immediately turns to marketing activities.
Should we post more on social media? Run Google Ads? Invest in SEO? Start sending newsletters?
All perfectly valid activities. But how do you know which ones are right for your business, or whether your messaging will connect with the people you're trying to reach?
Before deciding HOW to promote your business and investing in marketing, clarify your target audience, positioning and messaging with 3 key questions to help you choose the right tactics.
These three questions help shape your marketing strategy, positioning, messaging and priorities.
1. WHO are you really trying to reach? Understanding your target audience
When I ask businesses about their target audience, I often hear "small businesses", "homeowners" or "anyone who needs our services".
It's a starting point, but effective marketing requires a deeper understanding of your customers, their challenges, motivations and what influences their decisions.
For example, an accountant might target small business owners. Some need help with tax and compliance, while others want financial guidance to grow their business.
Same broad audience, very different motivations.
Understanding what matters to your customers helps you communicate the right benefits, use relevant language and focus on the people you most want to attract.
Ask yourself: Who are our priority customers, what matters most to them and what influences their decisions?
2. WHY should they choose you? Clarifying your offer and positioning
Businesses are often very good at explaining what they do, listing services, features, experience and technical capabilities.
But your customers want to understand what that means for them.
What problems do you solve? What do you make easier or better? Why should someone choose you over the alternatives?
Take an IT business, for example.
"We provide managed IT services, cloud solutions and cybersecurity" explains the services.
But communicating how those services reduce downtime, protect information and keep businesses running smoothly makes the value much clearer.
The services haven't changed. The messaging has.
Effective positioning connects what you offer with what your customers value and gives them a clear reason to choose you.
Ask yourself: What problem are we solving, what value do we deliver and why should customers choose us?
3. WHAT do you want them to do next? Defining your marketing objectives
Getting someone's attention is one thing. Knowing what you want them to do next is another.
Are you building awareness, generating enquiries, encouraging bookings or driving sales?
Your objective influences your messaging, marketing channels and customer journey.
Imagine running Google Ads to generate enquiries. When someone clicks through to your website, can they quickly understand your offer and how to get in touch? Or do they have to search for the information?
Effective marketing makes the next step clear and gives customers the information they need to take action.
Ask yourself: What do we want our marketing to achieve, and have we made the next step clear and easy?
Turning that clarity into marketing that connects
Once you've answered these three questions, you're better equipped to decide:
What to communicate: The benefits and messages that matter to your audience.
How to communicate it: The language, tone and information that will resonate.
Where to communicate it: The channels most likely to reach your customers.
What to prioritise: The activities that best support your marketing objectives.
You might discover your website messaging needs work before investing in advertising, your target audience is too broad or your current marketing isn't communicating the benefits customers care about.
Choosing the right tactics is important. Having the right message and direction behind them is just as important.
Before investing more time or money into marketing, make sure you can confidently answer those three questions.
Strategy first. Tactics second.
Need help getting clear on your marketing direction?
Our Marketing Direction Workshop provides a fresh perspective to help you clarify your audience, offer, positioning and messaging, and identify your immediate marketing priorities.
You'll leave with clearer direction and a practical 30-day action plan.
Tracy Edgar | Founder & Lead Strategist, TracElement Strategic Marketing
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