15 tips for successfully reaching “unreachables”
It’s only natural for us to want to market our products or services to everyone, in hopes of capturing a 
larger audience. But every business has some “unreachables” who seem unsuited for or resistant to your overtures. Now, some of these people are placed in that category for a good reason. For others, you may just need to try something new. Here are 15 great tips from multiple experts:
1. Do your homework. This is an important step you won’t want to skip. Before you start trying to reach all different types of groups, you’ll want to find out who your individual unreachables actually are. They may or may not be who you think they are. That’s why researching and surveying are important parts of this process. You might look at your current demographics for visitors to your website or social media platforms and determine which audiences aren’t connecting with you. Whatever methods of obtaining this data, be sure that in the end you have answers to questions like:
- Why are these groups uninterested/uninformed about my business?
- Are they also uninterested/uninformed about the products/services I sell?
- Do they know they might want/need what I’m offering?
2. Find common ground and apply it to your approach. If you’ve begun narrowing the list of unreachables, but the research stage isn’t over, you may still want to find out what their likes and dislikes are, where they live, where they work, etc. Researching the specifics of their day-to-day lives can be helpful when brainstorming the message and channels to reach them. It can help you create a story that appeals to multiple audiences.
3. In some of your outreach, customize your approach to unreachables, not your current customers. It’s important to remember that the same message that works really well for your current audience may not be received well by another.
4. Recognize that old methods are, well, old. The traditional marketing playbook is broken. Almost everyone – 91 percent, to be precise – has unsubscribed from email lists. Two-out-of-three people (68 percent) who record TV content do so to skip advertisements and the average click-through rate on display ads is only 0.2 percent. You can no longer rent your way to consumer attention, you need to earn it. Instead of dreaming up new ways to interrupt your way into your prospects’ lives, invest in ways to engage them meaningfully with an inbound experience.
5. Your content must be remarkable enough to break through the clutter.Think about how many channels you have on your television, and how many websites and social media channels compete for your attention each day. The same is true for your customers. It’s not enough to just produce content. Your content must educate, inspire or entertain your audience. Don’t talk about your brand non-stop or try to sell people too early or often in your content. Instead, try to spark interesting dialogue and discussion with your content. Doing so will pay off with attention and engagement.
6. Think of your website as a hub, not a megaphone. Far too many businesses think about their websites as broadcast channels for addressing a large group of people. Your website functions best when its content and design are built with a human touch. Instead of writing copy to impress your competitors, create copy and experiences an individual customer will love. Don’t scream through a megaphone at your customers. Design the entire end-to-end experience with individual humans in mind. Conversation trumps a broadcast message every time. Design your web experience accordingly.
7. Master the call to action.Think about how hard you work to get traffic to your website. Now think of what happens if visitors come to your site and don’t know where to go or what to do next once they visit. You’ve just wasted all of your hard efforts! Your call to action is a sign post showing your visitors where they should go next. If someone came to your blog first, you want to make it easy and seamless for them to subscribe to read similar articles.
8. Get visual.The average attention span is just eight seconds, so even if you want to write a 10,000-word essay on your new product launch, chances are slim that your audience will get through it. Creating remarkable visual content is a great way to cut through content clutter and stand out from the pack. When it comes to content, a photo (or video) really is worth 1,000 words.
9. Demonstrate how your product/service could be the only solution they need. Maybe your business offers a variety of products or services (i.e. multi-platform digital solutions). Or, maybe it offers something a little more niche (i.e. all-organic coffee). But no matter what you offer, there’s always a way to position yourself as their all-purpose solution. Your unreachables might not even know your business can handle multiple problems they’re experiencing. They might not know that just how well you’ve mastered your very specific product/service. Or, they might not know they need you. Either way, you’ll want to demonstrate how you’re the only solution.
10. Position your business in the most positive light possible. Though it may hard to conceive, most people want to find out how you can help them, even if they’re not actively seeking you out. If you’ve piqued their interest in some way, they’ll want to find the good in your business, so they can have a product or service that provides a solution or added convenience to their lives.
- Use up-to-date content, design and resources in your marketing efforts
- Use language that is confident and inviting, not cocky or abrasive
- Avoid negative messaging that is critical of competitors
- Highlight what you do that creates value
11. Find ways to get your advocates to promote to your company and products. What’s better than having happy customers who love your products/services? Having happy customers who willingly laud your products and services to others. If they’re happy enough, they’ll do it for free, too. It’s free advertising, but better.
12. Show many forms of credibility. In addition to having testimonials and case studies on your website, there are a lot of ways to demonstrate that you are credible and trustworthy.
- Noteworthy awards or certifications
- Support of a charity
- Memberships in associations and industry groups
13. Establish a relationship. Businesses are finding it more difficult than ever to effectively market and sell to customers. The global availability of products has inundated customers with marketing messages that don’t relate to them. How can you develop profitable relationships in this cluttered environment? The answer lies in one-to-one marketing strategies. A credible relationship with your customers is the key to breaking through the clutter. You can gain credibility by understanding your customers’ buying behavior and their preferred communication channel:
14. Make your marketing message consistent. This sounds easy enough, but if you have multiple channels, multiple locations or divisions carrying your materials, or a disparate sales team selling your product, it can be hard to keep your sales and marketing messages consistent. It’s best to integrate the entire process, from branding to printing; develop one message and make sure it’s consistent across all media.
15. Solutions providers should be partners, not vendors. Seek providers who can become part of your process and will work with you to integrate all pieces of your external communication, from influencing design to streamlining the production processes. Look for a provider who’s experienced in your industry. Vertical experience should give them insight into your industry, which can greatly influence your marketing strategy.
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Hat-tip to:
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10-ways-to-speak-to-customers-who-dont-know-they-need-you
8 Fundamentals for a Successful Inbound-Marketing Strategy
Tags: marketing tips, reaching customers, Valcort