Stop Looking for External Marketing Solutions - The Answers Lie Within Your Customers

If you're a business owner constantly asking "What marketing tactics work for you?" - you may be going about this all wrong.

Searching for external solutions often leads you astray. The real answers lie within your own customers.

Here I share a cautionary tale from my supplement business.

They would constantly ask successful friends what Facebook ads were crushing it for them. Then Russell's team would copy the ads - but see lackluster results.

"What works for someone else does not mean it will work for you. Because it's an external solution."

Instead, Russell urges you to turn your focus inwards. Really dig into your customers and their problems. Ask yourself:

• What are my customers' biggest pain points?
• Where do they look to solve those pains?
• What message do I need to convey to win their business?

This internal focus reveals what Russell calls the "Master Marketing Equation":

The right message to the right person at the right time and place.

When you rely on external solutions, you often miss the mark on messaging. A tactic that resonates for someone else likely won't perfectly fit your customers.

You end up mixing and matching puzzle pieces from different puzzles. Of course they don't fit!

To find success, Russell advises building marketing completely focused on your customers. Get into their world through surveys, interviews, and research. Map out their problems and path to purchase.

Then you can craft messaging and campaigns laser-focused on leading them through that path.

For example, pretend you sell a SaaS platform for auto repair shops. Here are some customer-focused questions to guide your marketing:

• Where do shop owners currently get advice on managing their business?
• What mediums and messages influence their software buying decisions?
• How much education do they need to understand the value of your solution?

Armed with this knowledge, you can create content and ads specifically tailored to resonate.

And you'll know the best places and times to reach them.

Instead of asking externally "What works for you?", look inward. Let your customers guide your marketing.

Stop wasting time on disconnected tactics. Align your marketing to your customers' needs for real results.