It can often be the case that a small business or sole trader knows exactly who they’d like to reach with their message, but doesn’t know how to make contact with the specific group. Here I will share with you the process which I followed recently to attract a specific audience to an event which I hosted. It was aimed at stroke survivors aged 18-65, so a clearly defined type of person needed to be located to make the event a success.
Here are the steps I took, which can be applied to any target group. I will use the analogy of an eagle finding its prey.
STEP ONE: Draw upon your own experience; where might you expect to find the people whom you seek?
Where possible, embed yourself within the group which you seek. On this occasion, I had the obvious advantage that I myself am a stroke survivor in the age bracket; it’s always useful to pause and draw upon your own experience or familiarity with the target group which you seek.
STEP TWO: Take a wide view of the area where you might begin your research. Just as the eagle soars high above the land, it’s important to remove yourself from being too close to the situation. As a result, you might be surprised by what comes into view. I decided to make direct contact with some healthcare professionals who are active in the stroke field locally and visited the Acute Stroke ward at our local hospital. They were happy to display and distribute posters and flyers on my behalf and welcomed the initiation of the event which I was planning. It is perfectly acceptable, indeed advisable, to stay focused and take a direct approach to those influencers who can assist you to find your target.
The benefit of requesting help from others is that it helps to spread your message further. In this instance, the health professionals were able to pass the leaflets to Sevenoaks Hospital and the Community Neuro Rehab team. They also made direct contact with former patients who they expected might be interested in the group. I also knew of individuals who would be keen to attend, so like the eagle, I focused my effort upon making direct approaches. On the day of the event, the representatives from Different Strokes Head Office were impressed to see seven attendees, a mix of male, female, young, old survivors, healthcare professionals and family members from Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks at this first event.
We are optimistic that, over time, the group will grow even larger once it becomes established. Local journalists have requested information with a view to covering future events.
If you need help targeting your ideal audience, please contact me at www.Lisabeaumontmarketing.co.uk or drop me an email with any questions to: [email protected]