That’s right. I said what I said. Marketing is marketing. With very few exceptions (I know…there’s always an exception to the rule), if you you can do marketing in one industry you can successfully do marketing in any industry. I’ve done marketing for non-profits, education, restoration, bathing products, restaurants, airlines, grocery stores. The list goes on. And the thing that I have found consistent in each industry is that as long as you start with the same foundations, you can create a stellar marketing strategy for your brand.

Marketing classes always talk about the 4 Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. And yes, that’s a good place to start if you’re starting a business completely from scratch. But let’s say you’re a marketing professional in an internal marketing department or an agency, you have your product/service, the prices have been established and if it’s a product you know the place that the product will be available. It’s the promotion portion you’re stuck on. So, how do you create a marketing strategy regardless of industry?

That’s easy: it all starts with understanding your audience.

You may think it needs to start with the product/service. I’d argue, for a marketing professional, no. You need to have a good grasp on the product/service that you’re trying to market, but you don’t need to be an expert or know the ins and outs of every little thing. Do I know how the drain in a walk-in bathtub works? No. All I need to know is that it has a low threshold, the door is watertight and it drains quickly. Do I know the workings of the heart and what causes a heart attack or stroke? No. First off, there’s too many variables to know everything about heart disease. But I do know that heart disease is the #1 killer of people in the world. More than all forms of cancer combined. That’s it. Everything stems from the audience. What you say, who you say it to, how you say it, where you say it and so on.

In marketing, understanding your audience is essential. Without knowing who you’re trying to reach, you’re just throwing strategies out there and hoping something sticks - called the “throwing spaghetti at the wall” method. And nothing frustrates a seasoned marketing professional more than the throwing spaghetti method. To truly connect with your customers and create impactful campaigns, you need to deep dive into what makes them tick.

Throughout the next several blog posts, we’ll discuss the importance of audience and how everything ties back to them.

Why should the audience care?

Who is the audience?

How does my audience consume media to buy things?

Always come back to audience.

Are you ready to make some marketing magic? Let’s chat! Whether you’re dreaming up big ideas of just need a little extra sparkle, JJA Marketing is here to help. Reach out today, and let’s create something amazing together!