50 marketing mistakes / Mistake #41
Mistake #41 of 50Don’t chase every new social platform.
Go where your customers actually are.
What it costs you
Six empty accounts.
Somebody told you that you need to be on Facebook.
And Instagram. And TikTok. And LinkedIn. And YouTube. And whatever came out last month.
So you opened an account on all of them. You posted three times. Then you got busy.
An empty page tells people, “We gave up.”
That’s worse than not being there at all. You don’t need every platform. You need theirs.
A real example
Dancing for the wrong crowd
A financial planner. Most of her clients are in their late fifties and sixties, getting ready to retire.
Somebody tells her short videos are the future. So she spends hours every week making them. Trending songs. Quick tips. Even a dance or two.
The videos get views. Mostly from college kids. Her phone doesn’t ring.
So she asks her ten best clients one simple question: “Where do you look when you need something like this?”
They tell her. LinkedIn. Email. The Rotary breakfast. And their friends.
She stops dancing. One helpful post a week on LinkedIn. One short email a month. The Rotary breakfast every Thursday.
Within a few months, she’s busier than she’s ever been.
She didn’t work harder. She just went where her customers already were.
Why it happens
Why you keep signing up
Every new app is one more place to disappear.
Do this instead
Ask them where they look.
Ask your own customers: “Where do you look when you need something like this?” Ten answers will tell you more than any article about social media. Then pick one or two places, and show up there every week. Here’s where a lot of customers tend to start.
| If your customers are… | They often look at… |
|---|---|
| Homeowners near you | Google, Nextdoor, neighborhood Facebook groups |
| Other business owners | LinkedIn, email, the chamber of commerce, industry groups |
| Parents | Facebook groups, Instagram, school newsletters, the ballfield |
| Younger adults | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube |
| Retirees | Email, Facebook, community centers, places of worship |
| Anyone who needs you today | Google. Always Google. |
No matter who your customers are, set up your Google Business Profile first. It’s free. Fill out every part, add real photos and keep your hours right. Then show up the same day, the same time, every week. Every post ends with one easy next step: “Book this week.” “Call us.”
Do this today
- 1
Ask three customers today: “Where do you look when you need something like this?”
- 2
Make sure your Google Business Profile is complete, with real photos and the right hours.
- 3
Post one before-and-after where they told you they look, with permission and an easy next step.
- 4
Put the same day and time on your calendar for next week’s post.
You don’t have to be everywhere. Just be where they are, and ask them to call.
From the book
Chapter 19: Show Up Where Your Customers Are
Starts on page 169. The whole chapter, plus 250+ ways to market your business, in the free book.
Download the free bookIdeas that fix it
Show up where they look.
Idea 6 · book page 264Claim Your Google Business ProfileFreePuts you on the map for every 'near me' search.$0Idea 30 · book page 276Post Before-and-After PhotosFreeProof beats promises. People can see exactly what you do.
Idea 64 · book page 293Stickers$0.25–$1 eachGood stickers end up on laptops, bottles and cars: free ads.
Idea 171 · book page 347Insulated Tumblers$8–$25 eachUsed daily, and seen on desks and in cars.
Idea 170 · book page 346Premium T-Shirts$8–$20 eachSoft shirts get worn on weekends, not just at work.
Idea 115 · book page 319Custom Cookies$2–$5 eachA cookie with your logo on it gets photographed and shared.Want a plan for where your customers really look?
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