If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed about how to promote your services, this next post will help you build a practical blueprint to understand what, why, and how to make it happen.

When working with service-based businesses , I often introduce a way to segment audiences into 3 distinct categories and identify the best marketing tactic to reach them. I learned this concept from an organization called ARTNY when I worked in non-profit theatre management in New York City.

The 3 categories are: Core, Connected, and Unconnected.

Core

Your CORE audience knows you and loves you. They are your biggest advocates and cheerleaders. They're your friends, family, and clients. Your goal with your CORE audience is to deepen your relationship with them by continuing to provide resources, value, and opportunities to engage.

Connected

Your CONNECTED audience knows you but not as well as your CORE audience. They might be a follower on social media, a friend of a friend, a subscriber on your email list, and/or a potential client you talked to but didn’t book. Your goal with your CONNECTED audience is to build trust.

Unconnected

Your UNCONNECTED audience has not discovered you yet. They are your potential clients who don’t know about you or your services. Your goal with your UNCONNECTED audience is to introduce yourself, educate and inspire them.

Identify the people in each category

For each of these segments, there are specific marketing tactics that you can deploy to promote your services. The first step is to identify the people in each category.

Identify Tactics for Each Segment

The second step is to consider and prioritize the marketing tactics to communicate your services. Below is an example of how this can help you create a strategy. One strong suggestion is to consider balancing your efforts across all segments.

Create a Calendar with Tactics

The last step in this process is to determine the tactics you want to use to communicate to each segment. Time, money, bandwidth, and your unique gifts and talents will be a key factor. When I work with a client, we prioritize who we want to reach out to, how we are going to reach them, and when. Utilizing a calendar makes the magic happen.

Worried that you audience is too small? Aim to be Nine People’s Favorite Thing.

I love the song Nine People’s Favorite Thing from the Broadway musical Title of Show for so many reasons. It's really the best example I know of that defines the power of your CORE audience. I think it's the best marketing advice for a service-based business summed up in a catchy song.

When you are your CORE audience's favorite thing, they will promote who you are and what you do, and be your biggest cheerleader and advocate. The lyrics are: “I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing.” So true! Those nine people will tell nine people who tell nine people, and that's how your business grows. Listen below and always keep this in mind!

Need some support identifying audiences and creating tactics to reach them? Contact me today.