Today we're going to discuss how your product line and target audience will affect your marketing plan.

Product Line: First, take a look at your current product line. Is it attracting the customers that live in your store’s geographic area?  If there are slow items, consider dropping the line, focus more on what is selling. Then, find similar products and add them to the offerings. Prep your offerings for the store’s geographic area and the target you will identify. Then contact your vendors to see if they'll offer co-operative advertising. 

Target Audience: Find out everything you can about your current customers.  Yes, of course, name and address.  But also, email address, how much they spend each year, when they spend it and their social media status. Encourage your current customer's to follow your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc), so you can stay top-of-mind in their newsfeeds and help them refer their online audience to your business.

Also, another conversation with your vendors will help you find out who they think will buy their products. Defining your customer in the most detail as you can is important. It will help you decide what media will be best and how you talk with them. 

Stay tuned for Part Three of our Small Business Series!