The Myth of Everyone
Have you ever read, heard or maybe even said something like this?
“Everyone is my audience”
“My product is great for everyone”?
I have, many times. And I read it again this weekend. It made me cringe. Why?
It’s just plain wrong.
The fact that really amazed me is that I read it in a brochure of a nationally known, growing company. It was a quote from one of their representatives.
The Myth
Honestly, I felt sorry for that rep when I read this. Here’s why:
There is no product or service where the market, the potential list of buyers, is everyone. If there is, it would be news to me an any other reputable marketing consultant.
In Marketing, There are Always Filters
Even if you’re selling food, or even water, there are always qualifiers, factors that filter out likely buyers from those who aren’t interested.
Photo by Stevedeplo via Flickr
Let’s use the company above as an example. They sell healthy food that is also convenient. Even though they may have a large target audience compared to other products, it still isn’t “everyone”. People on certain diets, people who don’t cook with packaged stuff at all or rarely, people with a limited budget, are not going to be beating down the doors to buy their stuff.
Your Real Target Audience
The point of choosing an audience vs. trying to sell to anyone with a pulse, a.k.a everyone, is you want people beating down your doors to get your products/services. No matter what you offer, it will appeal to some more than others. The goal of smart marketing is to find, and get in front of those who will be most excited about it because it makes the selling process a whole lot easier. And that will be the case whether you promote by blogging, articles, phone calls or in person networking. It’s a lot easier to speak in a way that someone will engage and understand when you know who you’re talking to.
P.S. If you haven’t gotten around to checking out the course I’m offering with Tom Treanor for beginning business bloggers, you’ve only got a little time left-we start early next week. Find details at www.theleadformula.com
Hi Cheryl,
Great post! I have been hearing this a lot lately as well… So much so that I wrote an article for How To: Trade Show about how this incorrect answer affects exhibitors and what the correct answer should be instead (you can check it out here, if you’d like: http://www.howtotradeshow.com/2012/01/know-your-target-audience-prepare-yourself-part-2-of-3.html).
Thanks for your direct and helpful words
Robyn Davis
http://www.WhenINeedHelp.com