10 Ways to Reach Customers Who Don’t Know They Need You

Event planner, lawyer, day-care center owner, tow truck driver. Regardless of our chosen professions, it’s fair to say that we all want to build our company’s customer base. This is how we thrive. Therefore, it is only natural for us to market our product or service to anyone in the hopes of reaching a larger audience and making more money from it.

But every company has a few “unreachable” ones. Well, some of these people fall into this category for a reason. For example, if you sell retirement plans, your unreachable children could be children because they are simply too young to buy your product. But that doesn’t mean they have to stay that way forever. Even the most unexpected groups of people could be your greatest advocates later on. You just have to know how to talk to them.

Here are some tips on how to successfully reach your unreachable.

How to reach customers

1. Make a list of your unreachable people.

This is an important step that you don’t want to skip. Before attempting to reach out to all of the different types of groups, find out who your individual unreachable actually are. You may or may not be who you think you are. Therefore, research and measurement are important parts of this process.

You can look at your current demographics for visitors to your website or social media platforms and see which audiences are not connecting with you. You can also try comparing your demographics against those of your competitors to see if they reach an audience that you might not be. Or you can conduct interviews and send out questionnaires to collect additional information. Regardless of how you get this data, make sure you end up with answers to questions like:

• Why are these groups disinterested / uninformed about my company?
• Are you also disinterested / uninformed about the products / services I am selling?
• Do you know that you might want / need what I am offering?

2. Develop a persona for the unreachable.

At this point you have narrowed down exactly who your unreachable are, but the research phase is still ongoing. They still want to find out what their likes and dislikes are, where they live, where they work, etc.

Exploring the ins and outs of their daily life can help brainstorm the message and channels to reach them. It can help you create a story that speaks to multiple audiences.

You can create campaigns that are effective because they target multiple audiences by finding common ground through storytelling.

3. Adjust your approach to address him You, not your current customers.

This is a continuation of the previous action. When brainstorming ways to speak to your unreachable, it’s important to remember that the same message that works really well for your current audience is likely not to be as well received – or at least not as effectively – by someone else.

A successful example of this is the Dollar Shave Club’s marketing efforts. Marketers realized that with humorous and quick-witted branding they could reach a lot of younger generations. The brand’s success was due to the viral nature of the ads, reaching a much wider group of people than ever before.

4. Offer them something really unique.

As wisely said by Entrepreneur Author Murray Newlands, in his article “The 8 Basics of a Successful Inbound Marketing Strategy”, “Think of your website as a hub, not a megaphone.” This applies to all areas of your brand presence – both online and offline. Treat your unreachable as if they are already your most loyal customers and reward them with valuable resources that they can really use. Because when you can offer them something they can’t find anywhere else, it creates trust and credibility – two things that will give you an instant edge over your competition.

Some valuable, yet free / affordable resources that you can offer are:

• Educational information such as e-books, guides, infographics, blog articles, webinars, tips, downloadable templates, etc.
• Coupons / exclusive discounts for first-time customers
• Product / service samples
• Branded goods

As many in the industry already know, this marketing method (inbound marketing) has proven to be one of the most successful ways to promote your brand or business.

5. Create awareness of the need / need for what you have to offer.

Your unreachable are most likely in the awareness stage of the buyer journey – they’re not sure if they even want or need the product / service you are offering, let alone if they want it from your particular company. Therefore, you have to find reasons why someone might need you.

Let’s say you are a hotel that offers a special vacation package. An example of the awareness stage buyers would be a mom and dad who have just learned they have family vacation time soon, but aren’t yet sure whether to stay locally, go overseas, or take a cruise . By marketing your vacation package as the most comprehensive, cheapest and most family-friendly offer, you will successfully attract attention and interest in your offer.

6. Demonstrate how your product / service might be the only solution they need.

Perhaps your company offers a variety of products or services (e.g. digital multi-platform solutions). Or maybe it offers a little more niche (e.g. organic coffee). But no matter what you offer, there is always a way to position yourself as an all-purpose solution.

Your unreachable may not even know that your business can handle multiple problems. You may not know how well you are at your very specific product / service. Or they may not know they need you. Either way, you want to show that you are the only solution.

7. Position your company in the most positive light possible.

While it’s hard to imagine, even when they’re not actively looking for you, most people want to find out how you can help them. If you have piqued their interest in any way, they want to find the good in your company so that they have a product or service that offers a solution or more convenience for their life.

A few suggestions to keep your efforts upbeat and positive:

• Use the latest content, designs and resources for your marketing activities
• Use confident and welcoming language that is not arrogant or aggressive
• Avoid negative messages that bring down certain competitors (it’s sticky)
• Highlight what specifically makes you better than the others, but say it in such a way that you look like the hero

8. Find ways to get your lawyers to promote them.

What could be nicer than having satisfied customers who love your products / services? Happy customers who love promote Your products / services to others. If they’re lucky enough, they’ll do it for free. It’s like free advertising.

This is your opportunity to reward your # 1 fans with things like the following:

• Referral offers / discounts / vouchers
• Exclusive content
• Donate to popular charities
• Answered questions / concerns, personalized shout-outs and Q&A sessions on social media platforms
• Fan recognition events
• Popular fan videos / photos / etc.
• Project participation

Whether your company has a lot or little money to spend to reward your advocates, remember that there is a huge benefit in having people promoting your company.

9. Show many forms of credibility.

In addition to testimonials on top review sites (or on your own website), there are many ways to demonstrate your credibility and trustworthiness.

Find unique (but still truthful) ways to display this in your marketing efforts, such as:

• Notable awards or certifications (place a badge on your website, post a link on your social media platforms with information about the award / certification, etc.)
• Support a local charity (display information about it on a dedicated landing page on your website, post about it on social media, etc.)
• Mention any green efforts you make in your company (recycling, volunteering for green organizations, etc.).
• Case studies and testimonials

While this is certainly helpful for your current customers to confirm that they made the right choice with you, those who may not know they need you will find your company more desirable than another simply because of your credibility. Research the industry-specific materials you can provide your prospects to let them know that you are not just a viable option, but the best option.

10. Do all of this in stages – not all at once.

Last but not least, make sure that you do these things at different stages. Since it is unrealistic to believe that someone else’s efforts will magically win everyone to your business, you should set goals, follow a strategic plan, and measure your results. Rinse and repeat for each audience as needed.

There are many ways to speak to those who seem out of reach. You just have to find ways to understand them and why they would (specifically) want or need you. If you’re not sure how to get started, try these tips to expand your reach.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in April 2015 and has been updated for completeness.