Marketing to Different Audiences
- Apr 27
- 5 min read
Updated: May 14
Something I've come to realize at my day job in real estate is that not all clients are created equal. A lot of agents at my firm market themselves in large, organized chunks, rather than sitting down and strategizing about their audience, and I figure this applies to many other industries as well. Let's talk about it!
Let's start with "audience." Most people know what an audience is, though they may not know theirs well, or may just say "everyone!" And to that, I repeat the wise words I once heard in an episode of Just Creative: "Everyone? You're advertising to infants, too?" Your audience is NOT everyone, even if it is broad. Using real estate as an example, you're targeting people looking to buy or sell homes. They likely have a stable income, mostly live in or are from your geographic area, and are around 18 (at the absolute lowest), while most are likely over 30 (millennials).
Now, of that group, your average real estate agent has three categories of people: what I call A+ clients, who swear by their services and use them again and again every time they move, that recommend you to family and friends, and that you may have even become friends with; your average client, who's used you once or twice and may need you in the future; and completely new or potential clients. You can break your whole audience down into smaller audience segments.
This applies to my own business as well. My friend and mentor Arielle is one of my "A+" clients, while the Greco family is one of my "regular" clients. I can also name businesses that I'm a regular or A+ client for - I love and recommend my local coffee shop, Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters, and I'm a regular client at my new tax place, which I just started using this year.
So now that we have our three categories, what makes them different other than their usage or opinion of you? Well, a lot, actually! People at different stages in their relationship with you need different things. If you've ever used a marketing funnel (sketch below from my notes), you may be familiar with some of this.
A+ clients are at the "loyalty" stage - you've already got them, you now need to maintain them by showing how much you appreciate their support. Regular clients need to be moved into the loyalty stage - they've made it to or past the conversion stage and need to be reminded to use you and incentivised to come back. New clients are starting at the beginning - awareness and consideration. They'll need to know who you are, what you can do for them, and why you'll do it best.
How you market to these three groups will be different, based on their needs! Below is a list of marketing strategies for each. These ideas are for small to medium-sized businesses with a more human touch - large businesses may have trouble scaling up some of the more personable strategies.
A+ Clients:
Your best clients. Already loyal and need to feel appreciated.
Client appreciation events (dinners, ice cream truck, etc.)
Loyalty gifts + personalized cards (ex. Pie during Thanksgiving)
Birthday or anniversary (ex. Home anniversary for RE) cards, optionally with medium gifts like a $20 gift card
Coupons for or deals with local businesses (ex. 15% off at local coffee shop)
Branded merchandise (be careful with this one! You want to give them things they'll actually use!)
Average Clients:
The bulk of your clients. They need to be reminded of your value and that you're available to help them again.
Small gifts on a large scale (ex. Sweets with a business card or postcard)
Birthday cards with small gifts (ex. $5 gift card)
Recurring postcards with useful information (also helpful to A+ clients!)
Periodic emails (ex. Mailchimp or Mailerlite), frequency depends on your audience and business
Coupons or deals with local businesses, possibly smaller in scale than A+ client deals (10% vs 15-20%)
Offer free services (ex. House valuations for RE)
Potential / New Clients:
They need to know who you are, what you do, and why they should pick YOU.
Product placement at small businesses (ex. Business cards at a coffee shop or gym)
Google ads
Farming postcards - send intro cards to specific areas or neighborhoods
Branded handouts (ex. Pens, stickers, etc. at events or just while you're put and about)
Offer free services
Wear your own merchandise, like shirts or hats
And lastly, below are a few general marketing tips:
Social Media:
Emphasize your unique qualities. Have certain certifications? Use only merchandise made in the USA? Let people know!
Post consistently, but don’t spam. Test posting frequencies - different audiences will have different preferences.
Add a personal touch (family photos, trends, humor, etc.)
Show an interest in the community - interact with local businesses.
Be interactive - make polls, ask questions, or ask for opinions, etc. It boosts your account and helps you get to know your clients!
Use the right platforms. Older people are on Facebook, professionals on LinkedIn, and younger people on Instagram and TikTok.
Utilize your Connections:
Know a gym owner, for example? Work with them to offer one month free for your clients in exchange for promotion on a postcard, or put posters in the gym. Work WITH your connections.
Look the Part:
Keep your brand consistent! Keep your colors, logos, fonts, and style consistent - it makes you easily recognizable. For example, the Dunkin pink/orange.
Personal Website:
Works as a great place to store all the info about you and your business - bio, reviews, services, etc.
Also, a great place to visually show your personality and the "vibe" of your business.
Directs all traffic to one place, and most platforms (WIX, Squarespace) allow for analytics and lead collection.
Easily collect leads and client info like emails for email lists.
This all ties back to my favorite part about marketing, and part of why I don't use AI in my business: you're marketing to REAL people with their own lives and different needs. You're inserting your business into their lives, and marketing is all about showing people why it's in their best interest to keep you around. Talk to them as people, and show they're appreciated. Everyone has automated emails and website chatbots now - be the business that goes the extra mile to reach out to the human you're interacting with.
I hope you found this interesting and that you can apply it to your own business! If you want to get even more in-depth with marketing, whether it be branding, social media, or a website, don't be afraid to reach out to me!
➡️ roana.artanddesign@gmail.com or via my website form.
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