Whom do you want to reach with your small business marketing and PR efforts? Once you have a clear profile of your target audience, you'll be better equipped to tailor your key messages to each segment of your target market and select the right communication tools to use with each audience.
Here’s a suggested list of possible target audiences: .
• Current clients
• Potential clients
• Business partners
• Referral sources
• Subcontractors
• Vendors
• Industry and business media outlets
• Business, civic, and professional associations
• Local community
• Elected officials
Next, it's crucial to understand what your key audiences think about your company. You can find this out by conducting a series of informal interviews with your clients and business partners. The results of this survey will be very valuable in showing you what is most important to your clients; uncovering what your clients value most about your company; and highlighting which services or products you may need to do more to promote.
Here are a few suggested survey questions:
1. What do we do?
2. What services do we provide? (You may be surprised to learn how little some
people know about the full complement of products and services you provide.)
3. How do we stand out among similar companies?
4. What do you value about us?
5. Who is our main competition?
Gathering this information is a critical first step for any small business in developing the right messages for a successful marketing and pr campaign. For a complete guide to marketing and pr strategies for small businesses, see the My PR Tools Handbook. And for more small business marketing and PR tips, sign up for my free report: “8 Key Steps to Small Business Success.”
About the Author:
Christine Henry Woodward is the founder of My PR Tools. She offers a full range of do-it-yourself public relations guides and personalized PR coaching through her website: www.MyPRtools.com. She can be reached at info@myprtools.com.
Chris Woodward
My PR Tools
Bringing the Power of PR to Small Business