3 Key Questions To Ask Before Spending on Marketing

When you are starting or growing your business, every penny counts. Because of this, I’m always sorry to discover that a new client has already spent any money at all on marketing and advertising before they’ve answered my foundational questions. The three key questions to ask before spending on marketing or advertising are:

1. Who am I?
2. Who am I trying to reach with my marketing?
3. What do I want them to do?

Key Question One: “Who am I?”

If the question of who you are as a service provider, or what your business is offering, seems like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised at how many people charge into spending money on marketing and advertising before they’ve clarified their answer down to its purist form.

Are you a wedding celebrant? Or are you a wedding celebrant specialising in non-traditional ceremonies for thrill seekers getting married for the first time in and around the Brecon Beacons? Are you an odd-jobber? Or are you a pet-friendly handywoman offering repair and decorating services for homes in Berkshire? Have you just opened a restaurant? Or are you Windsor’s new gem, the only Mexican restaurant serving authentic Baja fish tacos in the UK?

Those who are trying to save money by handling their marketing themselves are working against their own goals if they’ve spent anything at all on an advert for their wedding celebrancy business without having worked out every detail they’re certain of about what *exactly* they offer.

Key Question Two: “Who am I trying to reach with my marketing?”

One of the most expensive answers I’ve ever heard to this question is, “Anyone who could benefit from my services.” Being clear about your target audience is not about eliminating potential customers – it’s about being resource conservative whilst making sure you reach your ideal customers.

Imagine how much more you’ll spend advertising against every wedding celebrant using that title online if you haven’t thought to clarify that your services are only available in Wales, or that you are the perfect fit for paragliding enthusiasts who want a unique ceremony? Perhaps someone who lives within your service area and doesn’t care at all about adventure will still find you and think you’re the right celebrant for them, but you’ll save time, energy and money if you aren’t essentially casting a global net (an expensive one) to generate leads that aren’t right for you.

I find that all of my clients know who their ideal customer is when I ask the right questions. Once we’ve identified a few aspects of who that person is, a little thoughtful conversation and research will fill in more details until they have a hypothetical person in mind. More often than not, that hypothetical will remind them of someone they know in real life. Between the archetype we’ve imagined and the real person they’re thinking of, it’s straightforward to fill in where and how that person would be most effectively reached with marketing. 

Key Question Three: “What do I want them to do?”

Once you are crystal clear on your offerings and who you want to reach, it’s time to identify one or more specific actions you want your ideal customer to take when they are exposed to your marketing or advertising. 

Let’s return to our hypothetical handywoman. Now that she’s refined her identity statement from “odd-jobber” to “pet-friendly handywoman offering repair and decorating services for homes in Berkshire,” we know a fair amount about her ideal customer. She is highlighting that she’s a woman, which may appeal to women customers– especially as she focuses on domestic work instead of commercial spaces and women may like that about her. Her decision to indicate that she’s happy to meet her clients’ pets will further narrow her target audience, and her geographic service area of Berkshire will inform where she chooses to make herself visible. Now what?

She can choose one or more specific things to promote. If she’s trying to grow her clientele, she might broadcast an introductory offer that incentivises new customers to book a free quote on work needed by offering a discount if they book right away. (“Book a free quote” being the initial action and “book the work for a discount” being the subsequent action.) If she’s interested in generating more repeat business, she might inform previous customers about seasonal or trending repairs, like refreshing wooden outdoor furniture when the weather warms up. (The desired action in this campaign being “book a furniture refresh.”) How she approaches getting these messages out is another blog post, but knowing who she’s going after and what she wants them to do will be at the heart of any marketing she engages in.

So who am I? Who am I marketing to? What do I want them to do?

I am an experienced marketing consultant who specialises in helping new and growing businesses achieve their business goals through strategy, coaching and training. I want to reach entrepreneurs and small businesses in the UK who are happy to consult remotely. And if you’re reading this, and finding it resonant, I want you to pop me an email and schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to see if we might enjoy working together.