Identifying Your Target Audience

Lacey and her brother Zeb Welborn founded Welborn Media. She has designed and launched websites, several projects, marketing materials, a podcast, a book and more. Her passions include her family, her friends, creating things and helping businesses grow.
Latest posts by Lacey Welborn (see all)

Integral to any marketing plan is a clearly defined target audience. The target audience helps you determine your approach, your messaging, and your distribution. Read this article then download the free worksheet at the bottom of this post to help define your target audience.

A common mistake is targeting too broad a selection of people. We understand the desire to want everyone to know about your business, but it can get you into trouble.

Poor Marksmanship

When you have a broad message you are just another fish in the overcrowded sea of marketing messages. Your marketing needs to attract attention which is a difficult thing to do when every other business is aiming to do the same thing. So don’t dilute your marketing message. By narrowing your target market you can zero in on what would appeal specifically to those people and that will help you get noticed.

In addition to standing out, your message also has to resonate with viewers to have any hope of compelling the desired action and it’s much easier to determine what will resonate when you have a specific group of people.

The other problem is money. Your advertising dollars are precious. When utilized to their full potential you can maximize your return and experience terrific success. When you try to reach too many people much of your budget will go to waste on those who are least likely to convert.

Think about it as if you are selling your products or services in person and groups of people are walking by. You don’t have the option to approach everyone. So, you prioritize and try to engage the people who appear most similar to your current customers. You realize that if you put your efforts towards engaging those who appear less likely to use your products/services you will miss out on sales.

Buyer Personas

Many businesses need to develop a multi-faceted target audience. Maybe your business has different products and services to meet different people’s needs. This is a situation where creating buyer personas can be helpful.

We work with Scott Goodwin Associates (SGA), a company that provides training for firefighters. They have a handful products that meet different needs: entry level firefighter bootcamp for those who are interested in becoming a firefighter, promotional bootcamp for current firefighters who want a promotion, and training for individuals or entire departments to improve fire command and communication. Each of these products has a different buyer persona: the entry-level bootcamp skews to a younger audience, the promotional bootcamp we can narrow down by job title, and the training program targets everyone currently in the fire service.

The overall target audience includes everyone in the fire service and people who are looking to join the fire service. We can execute marketing pieces and aim to reach all of those people. We can also use the buyer personas to create specific marketing pieces that showcase an individual product and distribute it to only that segment of the target audience. We like to do some of both.

Hitting a Bullseye

Try to think of a specific person and cater your message to them. What are their needs, wants, fears and desires? What message will appeal directly to them? Determining that is the hard part. Once you know who this person is other decisions become easy.

How will you reach them?

You can target an audience based on several factors including location, gender, age, income level, job title, interests, search history, website visits, connections, current customer status, social media engagement, and more. Ask yourself where do these people spend their time? Do they search on Google, scroll through Facebook, or examine their junk mail? How do they make their purchasing decisions?

Traditional Marketing Methods often let you target based on location, gender, age and income level. Sometimes they also can be used to target a general interest. Digital marketing can give you more ways to refine your audience — things like job title, keyword searches, web history, specific interests, online behavior, and engagement level.

Define Your Target Audience

Now you have a good understanding of why defining your target audience is important and how it can help you determine your approach, messaging, and distribution. Download our Target Audience/Buyer Persona Worksheet to help you zero in on your target:

 

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Examine your customer base and think of one specific person who can act as an avatar to represent your typical customer or client. If you need to, create separate buyer personas that represent your different products or services.

Now that you understand your target audience, you’ve completed one of the most important parts of your marketing plan. Use the target audience to help you make decisions regarding the rest of your marketing plan including messaging, content strategy, distribution, budget and more.

Need help developing an online marketing plan for your business? Check out our limited offer: Zeb Welborn’s One-on-One 1-Day Marketing Plan

 

 

How Donald Trump Won the Presidency with Twitter

The owner of Welborn Social Media and the founder of The Tutoring Solution.My goal is to help business owners share the passion they have for their business with as many potential customers as possible.By helping passionate people achieve their dreams I am helping to create a society of passionate leaders that will help inspire others to make their dreams a reality.

“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” – Oscar Wilde

Regardless of how you feel about the election results from last night, you just saw our political system go through a drastic shift.

Our President-Elect, Donald Trump, made controversial statement after controversial statement throughout the campaign and – every time – our political pundits said he was done. He would not recover.

But, he did recover.

Not only did he recover, but he continued to make more and more controversial statements and each time his influence grew.

His campaign is a testament to the new age of marketing. The power of social media.

Donald Trump’s strategy was to make sure eyes, ears and minds were on him and only him.

His strategy worked and it will work for your business.

Trump’s campaign relied on one simple premise:

“There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.” – Brendan Behan

If you’ve ever thought to yourself social media doesn’t work, it’s a waste of time, or it can’t help to grow my business, Trump just proved you wrong. Trump used social media to persuade our country.

In a traditional campaign, any number of Trump’s controversial remarks would have doomed his run for the presidency, yet he thrived.

With each tweet, Trump defied conventional thinking and the reason it worked is because his controversial statements dominated the headlines nearly every day of the campaign election cycle. Nearly every late night talk show host, news anchor, newspaper, magazine and media outlet mentioned Trump on a daily basis.

The free press Trump received far surpassed the mentions of Hillary Clinton throughout the entire election. Whether good, or bad, Trump was on the minds of the American people and we have social media to thank.

As the results were being read last night, many pointed to the fact that this election would “rewrite the history books.” Its ramifications will reverberate throughout the future of political campaigns.

In every debate, Facebook and Twitter were mentioned – they even had a selfie spot at my polling place.

Donald Trump Social Media Strategy

Those engaging in discussions on Facebook and Twitter permeated news feeds and those who proactively supported or endorsed either candidate influenced our election.

If you’re active on social media you’re an influencer. You have the ability to persuade others to your way of thinking in today’s connected age. If your business is active on social media, you have the ability to persuade your customers to choose you over another company.

And when they choose you, you have the ability to generate a “base” of followers who will overwhelmingly support you and your brand. So much so, that they’ll take to Twitter, to Facebook and to other social channels to tell everyone just how great you are.

Do you want to succeed in our new economy? Copy Donald Trump and use social media to grow your business.

Sign up for the Welborn Media newsletter for tips and tactics  – http://welbornmedia.com/email/

 

 

Zeb Welborn’s Upcoming Speaking Engagements in 2016 – Social Media for Businesses

The owner of Welborn Social Media and the founder of The Tutoring Solution.My goal is to help business owners share the passion they have for their business with as many potential customers as possible.By helping passionate people achieve their dreams I am helping to create a society of passionate leaders that will help inspire others to make their dreams a reality.
Welborn Media and Zeb Welborn will be speaking multiple times before the end of the year on how to use social media to grow your business. Our sessions are hosted by the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board or the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center.

All of our social media courses from now until the end of the year are free to attend.

Zeb is presenting on a variety of topics from social media basics,  utilizing LinkedIn and marketing technology to grow your business.

Check out the workshops and find one(s) that works for you. Please let us know which ones you plan to attend.

If you’d like to learn more about online marketing but the following courses are not appealing to you, let us know what courses you’d like to see in 2017 by filling out this 2-Question Survey.

 

Zeb Welborn Speaker at San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board and the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center

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October 13th • 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Effective Use of Social Media: A Hands On Approach

Ontario Chamber of Commerce
3200 Inland Empire Blvd., Suite 130, Ontario, CA 91764
Zeb Welborn, shares his knowledge of using google analytics to monitor and improve your website and online marketing efforts.

Hosted by San Bernardino County Workforce Development
Please register at: https://socialmediaworkshops2016.eventbrite.com

October 19th • 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Internet Marketing Strategies

Ontario Chamber of Commerce
3200 Inland Empire Blvd., Suite #130, Ontario 91764
Zeb Welborn, shares his knowledge on Internet Marketing Strategies

Hosted by Inland Empire Small Business Development

November 1st • 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Marketing Technology to Attract Customers

City of San Bernardino EDA Board Room
201 North “E” Street, San Bernardino 92401
Topics Zeb will cover: Social Media Marketing; Blogging; SEO

Hosted by Inland Empire Small Business Development

November 10th • 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

How to Use Your Personal Network to Grow Your Business on LinkedIn

Ontario Chamber of Commerce
3200 Inland Empire Blvd., Suite 130, Ontario, CA 91764
Facebook is for everyone. Twitter is for connecting with experts or people trying to become experts, and LinkedIn is for your business contacts. Learn how to use your LinkedIn personal profile to connect with others in your industry, build a better business, and target customers using features on LinkedIn. Learn how to use LinkedIn as your digital rolodex; how and why you should update your profile regularly; Use LinkedIn groups to reach more customers and build influence in your industry; and target connections in your industry/potential customers using the LinkedIn search tool.

Hosted by San Bernardino County Workforce Development
Please register at: https://socialmediaworkshops2016.eventbrite.com

November 16th • 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Marketing Technology to Attract Customers

Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce
16010 Apple Valley Road, Apple Valley 92307
Topics Zeb will cover: Social Media Marketing; Email Marketing; Blogging; SEO

Hosted by Inland Empire Small Business Development

November 17th • 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Marketing Technology to Attract Customers

Temecula Valley Entrepreneur’s Exchange
43200 Business Park Drive, Temecula 92590
Topics Zeb Will Cover: Social Media Marketing; Email Marketing; Blogging; SEO

Hosted by Inland Empire Small Business Development

I’m looking forward to sharing what I know with local business owners. Reply to this email to let me know which session(s) you plan on attending.

See you soon!

Zeb Welborn

Facebook for Business Online Courses

Lacey and her brother Zeb Welborn founded Welborn Media. She has designed and launched websites, several projects, marketing materials, a podcast, a book and more. Her passions include her family, her friends, creating things and helping businesses grow.
Latest posts by Lacey Welborn (see all)

We're reopening enrollment for Welborn Media University! Enroll now.

 

Ultimate Course - $299

Complete Course - $99

Testimonials

We have received great feedback from last year’s students and we’re excited to share our knowledge with even more business owners.

There was so much information to listen to and watch. Most grateful there was show and tell time on their videos or I might have been truly lost. As it is, I now understand how to use the business side of FB more and though I should be applying it now…when the time comes that I do what I was taught I will remember but I have the resources to make it happen.

We who have taken your course are smarter than we were before! Many thanks to Zeb & Lacey for their hard work and willingness to help others!Lisa Mortensen Walsh


You and Lacey did a fantastic job putting this together and it has been very beneficial!! I would highly recommend this course to my business friends and colleagues without any reservations.George Ross

I have been on Facebook for several years and used it for personal communications. Zeb Welborn created very good step-by-step learning videos for utilization of FB for professional marketing purposes. He taught me how to increase marketability and exposure to a broader audience and learn from the metrics and tools to better promote our businesses. This is an excellent course for those who are just venturing out into marketing for their businesses.Belinda Douglas

Welborn Media University is offering a huge value in their new Facebook course. Outsourcing Facebook management to a marketing firm can run thousands of dollars a year, but Welborn Media is making industry insider knowledge available for small businesses at a fraction of what it would cost to outsource it. The Ultimate Facebook for Business Online Course is the perfect option for any business looking to grow their Facebook platform without spending thousands and thousands of dollars. Zeb is a fantastic teacher and walks students through a step by step process of how to manage a business Facebook page. This course provides an excellent hands-on learning environment as it provides real life examples where Zeb shows you exactly what to do and then leaves you with an assignment to practice on your own. I would recommend this course to anyone who knows they need to expand their social media presence.Adam Witmer,
businatomy.com

I started using Facebook for the first time in January 2014. I was pretty lost and it seemed like a whole new world to me. Zeb helped me navigate through the noise and create my business page. Now I have more than 1000 likes on my business page and tons of engagement with my customers. Zeb is my go-to person whenever I have any questions about Facebook marketing. I would highly recommend anything Zeb teaches about Facebook.Sushant Misra,
Founder at Trep Talks

 

Sneak Peak

Get a sneak peak at our lessons. We took a couple of our video lessons and turned them into PDFs that you can download for free from our blog.

PDF Downloads on the Blog:
PDF-iconSimple and Easy Facebook Wins - Free PDF Download - Download this PDF and try these super easy things to gain more engagement on your Facebook Page. Then let us know how well they work for you.
PDF-iconPDF Download - The Biggest Mistake (when using FB advertising) - Download this free guide so you can find out about one misstep that cost us big! A mistake you can easily avoid when you’re using FB for your business.

Don’t miss out. Enroll now!

The Complete Facebook for Business Online Course – only $99!

The course includes:

  • Over 30 lessons with video sharing and showing all the ways you can use Facebook for your business
  • Step-by-step videos that show exactly how we set up, grow, and build Facebook business pages
  • Assignments at the end of each lesson to motivate participants to take action
  • Exclusive access to the WMU Facebook group

Worry-Free 30 Day Refund Policy
The course takes about 30 days to get through and we have a 30 Day Refund policy. If you don’t feel the course was worth it, get your money back.

 

Our Ultimate Facebook for Business Online Course – only $299!

Everything from the Complete Facebook for Business Online Course and

  • Lifetime access
  • A consultation with Zeb Welborn
  • Bonus lessons
  • Email reminders
  • Google Hangout
  • ...and more

Get more details. Click here.

 

 

Prices will never be lower. Don’t miss it. Enroll now!

Still not sure? Let me know what your concerns are. Contact me at Zeb@WelbornMedia.com or (909) 973-9089.

Find out more, visit welbornmedia.com/welborn-media-university/.

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The Biggest Mistake Using Facebook for Business

Lacey and her brother Zeb Welborn founded Welborn Media. She has designed and launched websites, several projects, marketing materials, a podcast, a book and more. Her passions include her family, her friends, creating things and helping businesses grow.
Latest posts by Lacey Welborn (see all)


biggestmistake-title

Download our free guide so you can find out about one misstep that cost us big. A mistake you can easily avoid when you’re using FB for your business: 
[download file="http://welbornmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/TheBiggestMistake-usingFBadvertising.pdf" title="The Biggest Mistake (when using FB advertising)"]

We're sharing these free guides to help you grow your Facebook page for your business. We pulled the information directly from our WMU Facebook for Business Online Courses. If you're interested in using Facebook to help grow your business consider taking one of our courses.

Want to see more? Check out our other featured lesson: Simple and Easy Facebook WINS. It includes 3 tips for you to try with your Facebook Page. Visit this blog post to download the free guide: Simple and Easy Facebook Wins w/Free PDF Download

We're re-opening enrollment for our Ultimate Facebook for Business Online Course and this time we are also offering our Complete Facebook for Business Online Course.

Enroll in one of our Facebook for Business Online Courses

Both courses include:

  • Over 30 Video Lessons
    • We cover the basics: setting up a profile. To the complex: using your email list to reach a very targeted audience to get maximum return
  • Actionable Items for you to put into practice
  • Exclusive access to the WMU Facebook group

The Ultimate Course also includes:

  • Lifetime Access
  • A consultation with Zeb Welborn
  • Bonus Lessons
  • Email reminders
  • ...and more

The Ultimate Facebook for Business Online Course - $299

The Complete Facebook for Business Online Course - $99

Find out more, visit welbornmedia.com/welborn-media-university/.

If you have any questions about our Facebook for Business Online Courses contact me.
Zeb Welborn (909) 973-9089 or email Zeb@WelbornMedia.com

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Free PDF – Simple and Easy Facebook WINS – Facebook for Business on a budget

Lacey and her brother Zeb Welborn founded Welborn Media. She has designed and launched websites, several projects, marketing materials, a podcast, a book and more. Her passions include her family, her friends, creating things and helping businesses grow.
Latest posts by Lacey Welborn (see all)

simple-and-easy

Download our free guide, Simple and Easy Facebook WINS. This includes amazing tips for those who have set up a Business Page, but are not necessarily using it.

[download file="http://welbornmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/SimpleFacebookWins.pdf" title="Simple and Easy Facebook Wins"]

Try out our tips and let us know what kind of response you get. Email Zeb@WelbornMedia.com or post a comment on our Facebook Page!

We re-opening enrollment for our Ultimate Facebook for Business Online Course and this time we are also offering our Complete Facebook for Business Online Course

Enroll in one of our Facebook for Business Online Courses

Find out more! See another featured lesson:

The Biggest Mistake I Ever Made Using Facebook for Business - Coming Soon! 

Both courses include:

  • Over 30 Video Lessons
    • We cover the basics: setting up a profile. To the complex: using your email list to reach a very targeted audience to get maximum return
  • Actionable Items for you to put into practice
  • Exclusive access to the WMU Facebook group

The Ultimate Course also includes:

  • Lifetime Access
  • A consultation with Zeb Welborn
  • Bonus Lessons
  • Email reminders
  • ...and more

The Ultimate Facebook for Business Online Course - $299

The Complete Facebook for Business Online Course - $99

Find out more, welbornmedia.com/welborn-media-university/.

If you have any questions about our Facebook for Business Online Courses contact me.
Zeb Welborn (909) 973-9089 or email Zeb@WelbornMedia.com

[fbcomments count="off" title="Did you try our Simple and Easy Facebook WINS?"]

Three Reasons Why You Must Monitor Your Personal Brand

The owner of Welborn Social Media and the founder of The Tutoring Solution.My goal is to help business owners share the passion they have for their business with as many potential customers as possible.By helping passionate people achieve their dreams I am helping to create a society of passionate leaders that will help inspire others to make their dreams a reality.

My dad, Larry Welborn, has been a reporter at the Orange County Register for 40 years.  For as long as he could remember, he knew he wanted to be a journalist.  I asked him how he knew he wanted to become a journalist at such a young age and he gave me many of his reasons, but one of the ideas he liked most about being a journalist was that if you got your article published, you could see your name in print.

Today, everyone can see their name published across the Internet.  Our times have changed and the novelty of having your name in print has worn off because now you can have your name, your picture, a video online which is now communicating to the rest of the world what you and your name are all about.

Personal Branding Zeb Welborn

Zeb Welborn

Personal branding is one of the biggest changes that has occurred in our economy during the past decade.  Before the internet, for the most part, people lived anonymously. Now, people are able to create a reputation for themselves, for better or for worse online.  Personal branding is a critical component towards living a successful life in today’s economy.  Learn how to make sure that people are talking about you online . . . and when they do . . . make sure they’re saying something good!

Imagine you’re applying for a new job.  Your employer has a choice between two candidates.  In performing his/her due diligence, your boss performs a Google search on both candidates.  Candidate A has no to little information about them online; Candidate B, has continually written articles, posted YouTube videos and engaged with others on the way to developing a strong online reputation in their field.  As an employer, which one is going to be more appealing to you?

It doesn’t apply just to job interviews, it applies to business relationships.  If you’re a business owner, a sales representative or someone who deals with customers on a regular basis, make sure your online profile is not hindering your relationship with your customers or potential customers.

As the host of the Defining Success Podcast, I’m continually working to manage and monitor what is being said about me online and to make sure that when any customers or potential customers look me up online they will see how committed I am to my career.  The Defining Success Podcast demonstrates that I’m someone who is eager to become successful and understand what it takes to make success happen.  My credibility since starting the Defining Success Podcast has gone through the roof and I’m continuing to expand my efforts to increase my personal brand.

If someone does a Google search for me online they will see that I’m the host of the Defining Success Podcast, owner of Welborn Media, owner of 19th Hole Media and owner of the Tutoring Solution.  They will see that I’m very passionate about success and education.  If a company hires me, they know that I am going to do a great job, they know I work hard and they know I’m someone who gets things done.

A friend of mine called me last week, because someone had set up a fake Twitter profile and they were using this profile to poke fun at everything he was doing. They made him look really bad. But when you searched for his name, this fake Twitter account was the first thing that showed up.  He asked what he should do and I advised him to focus on building a personal brand around the positive things you do for others.  Trying to contact Twitter or any online platform to remove information posted online is difficult, time-consuming and often times doesn’t work.  Your best way to beat negative comments about you online is to be proactive and make sure what’s being said about you online are the things you want people saying about you online.

When my Dad began his career as a reporter, the most recognition he could hope to get was having a byline in a story he had written.  Today, videos, pictures and social media platforms can all represent who you are as a person online.

Personal branding is essential in todays day and age, and everyone should be aware of what is being said about them online.

To find out more about personal branding and how you can manage your reputation online listen to Episode 53 of the Defining Success Podcast titled, Personal Branding by Zeb Welborn.

If you’re concerned about your personal brand take the time to Google your name with potential keywords people would use to find out more information about you.  Make sure your personal brand is aiding and not hindering your goals.  If people are saying positive great things about you online then you’re on the right track.  And if they’re not . . . then it’s time to make changes to ensure that they are.

How to Use LinkedIn to Generate New Business | A Presentation at the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce by Zeb Welborn

The owner of Welborn Social Media and the founder of The Tutoring Solution.My goal is to help business owners share the passion they have for their business with as many potential customers as possible.By helping passionate people achieve their dreams I am helping to create a society of passionate leaders that will help inspire others to make their dreams a reality.

On Wednesday, March 6, I will be presenting to the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce on How to Use LinkedIn to Generate New Business.  I’d also like to give a special shout-out to Gigi Fix from Servpro Chino Chino Hills  for being the breakfast sponsor for the presentation.

The presentation will be an in-depth analysis of How to Use LinkedIn to Generate New Business.  We will discuss how to set up a LinkedIn profile.  How to use your LinkedIn account to meet new people.  And how to use LinkedIn to get more sales for your business and make more money.

“SERVPRO of Chino/Chino Hills understands the stress and worry that comes with a fire or water damage and the disruption it causes your life and home or business. Our goal is to help minimize the interruption to your life and quickly make it ‘Like it never even happened.'”

How to Use LinkedIn to Generate New Business

How to Use LinkedIn to Generate New Business

We love to educate others on how they can use Internet marketing and social media to grow their business.  Please contact us at (909) 973 – 9089 or by email, Zeb@WelbornMedia.com if you’d like to have us present to your group/organization.