Remember Your Team is Part of Your Target Market
Who do you think of when you think of a ‘target market?’
Most think of one simple word: consumers, specifically, consumers who meet the criteria for certain products and services. Although that answer is true, it’s not the whole truth.
One of the most neglected target markets by companies is their own team members. And by team members, I mean employees and strategic partners.
Employees: Someone hired by the company to help grow the brand while positively impacting company culture.
Strategic partners: A person or business entity in a mutual agreement to share resources and missions for partnered growth, such as a freelancer, contractors, or white-labels.
Our “gig economy” continues to grow, featuring talented people who work for various companies as independent contractors and strategic partners.
Why Employees are Target Markets
Companies neglect this key target market because they don’t realize the importance of building internal messaging campaigns to reach and influence employees and strategic partners. It’s an essential part of what I call cultural messaging and B2E (Business to Employee) Marketing that ensures employees knowledge of and action on the company’s MVPS: mission, values, purpose, strategy.
If you’re neglecting those independent contractors, strategic partners, freelancers — whatever you want to call them — it’s time to shift. Make them a key target market in 2021.
According to a Rand Corporation study authored by Nicole Maestas, an economist and associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, some 40 percent of Americans age 65 and older who are currently employed were retired at some point in the past.
Returning to work is sometimes a necessity for those who haven’t saved or invested enough. But even those who might not need to work for financial reasons are still doing so. They enjoy the intrinsic gains of work like interacting with others, achieving goals and being part of a team.
This means companies need to communicate with employees and strategic partners — young, middle-aged, more senior — on an ongoing basis. Make them a key target market. Build a specific cultural messaging campaign to reach and influence them on an ongoing basis.
How Message Agencies Can Help
We understand building a messaging campaign can be more complicated than it sounds. That’s why we are a specialized message agency to help brands develop and impact target markets both internally and externally. Contact our team here.
Looking for more messaging marketing insight?
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