Marketing to ‘Everyone’ is a Waste of Time. Here’s What to Do Instead
Mell Millgate PAMI (CPM) CMktg MAICD
Marketing, Mentoring, Speaking, Strategy, Consulting, Director. Making business life easier for you and having fun along the way.
“If you’re marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one.”
It’s tough to hear, I know, but if you’re trying to appeal to everyone, your message becomes so watered down, or worse... confusing, that it doesn’t actually connect with anyone.?
And that means you’re wasting time, effort, and money on marketing that won’t bring in the right clients.
So, let’s get into why knowing exactly who your ideal client is (aka your target market) is the key to making your marketing actually work... and how to figure out who they are.
Why Knowing Your Ideal Client/Target Market Matters
Put simply, your ideal client is the person (or business) that actually wants and values what you offer.?
They see the benefit of working with you, are willing to pay for it, and, most importantly, aren’t a pain in the proverbial to deal with (or to put that more positively - they are a dream to work with).
So…
If you don’t know who your ideal client is, you end up with:
On the flip side, when you know exactly who your ideal client is, your marketing becomes easier and way more effective.
Getting clear on your ideal client is one thing, but how do you actually figure it out? It’s not just about guessing. It takes work.
How to Identify Your Ideal Client
Identifying your target market is not just about demographics like age or location. Don’t get me wrong - you need to know the demographic stuff because it helps you identify what marketing tactics to implement and where to 'do your marketing'.?
But, in my opinion, knowing your ideal clients is more importantly about what we call the psychographics. That’s their behaviour, values that drive decision making, and what they actually need from you.
Not gonna lie - working out the psychographics is hard. But it is soooo worth it.?Knowing the psychographics of your target market means you can develop key messaging that makes them feel like you ‘get’ them. It's like an instant connection builder.
A great example of this is Dash Cakes, a boutique cake business I worked with. When Carmen from Dash Cakes first came to me, she was doing a range of marketing things:
But all her efforts were not attracting the right customers.?
So, we went deep into understanding who she actually wanted to serve, why she started Dash in the first place, and what made her cakes different.
It completely transformed her business. Carmen got super clear on her ideal client, refined her messaging, and as a result, Dash Cakes had its best year on record. And it all started with figuring out who she really wanted to attract. (Side note: Carmen's cakes are delicious, as are her cookies, tarts, slices, etc. And the coffee is great too.)
So, if you want to figure out who your ideal client is, start by asking yourself these questions:
Your marketing should reflect both who your ideal clients are and how they make decisions. Because if you’re not speaking to them and you’re trying to speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no-one.
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Your Target Market is NOT ‘Everyone’
I see it all the time, businesses saying, “We work with everyone!”
I cannot express this enough.?
NO, YOU DON’T
Even massive brands like Apple and Nike have specific target markets. Yes, you can have more than one target market. Starfish Marketing, for example has three:
By identifying three different target markets, I’m able to adjust my marketing for each so I’m not missing out on reaching 66% of potential clients. Why do I say that? If my marketing was created to only reach/attract the time-poor business owner, Starfish Marketing would not be reaching the other two markets. Therefore, potentially missing out on 66% of opportunities. (the math - 100/3=33.33. Only reaching 33.33 means missing 66.66).
So, the clearer you are on your ideal clients, your target market, the more effective your marketing and marketing messages will be.?
For example:
If your marketing message is “We help businesses grow.” it’s too vague.?
But “We help established service-based businesses create strategic marketing plans that actually work.” is much clearer and definitely more targeted.
When you define your ideal client, your messaging, offers, and marketing strategy all become more focused. And that’s when you start getting real results... like Carmen.
So, What Now?
If you’re not sure who your ideal client is, or if your marketing is feeling a bit all over the place, it’s time to sort that out.
And if you need help figuring it out? That’s exactly what I do.
I help business owners (just like you) understand who your ideal clients are, stop the guesswork, and create strategic marketing to attract them. Let’s chat and get your marketing working for your ideal clients.?
Send me an email at [email protected] or book a time for a quick call here.
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Mell Millgate is the Founder of Starfish Marketing, a boutique marketing agency that helps business owners take the guesswork out of marketing. She works with successful B2B businesses that want strategic marketing that actually works, without wasting time or money.
Mell specialises in marketing strategy, content marketing, social media, email marketing, and business/marketing mentoring. She makes marketing happen for businesses that are too busy to do it themselves.
This article was created with some help from AI (a little bit, not a lot) but has been fully reviewed and edited by me, Mell Millgate. If you want to know more about how AI was used (or just want to chat about your marketing), feel free to email me at [email protected].
? 2025 Starfish Marketing. Please respect the effort that goes into creating content. This article, or any part of it, may not be reproduced without written permission from the author.