Let’s start here:
If you’ve built a business over 20, 30, even 40 years… you already understand marketing. You just might not call it that.
You call it:
- Relationships
- Reputation
- Word of mouth
- Referrals
- “Taking care of your people”
And that? That’s marketing.
What’s changed isn’t the foundation. What’s changed is the platform. 💻
The Real First Step (It’s Not Social Media)
It’s not Facebook ads. It’s not email funnels. It’s not TikTok dances.
The first step in marketing — whether it’s 1975 or 2026 — is this:
Who exactly are you selling to?
If you don’t know that clearly, nothing else works. Not print. Not radio. Not digital. Not referrals.
Everything becomes noise.
Why “Everyone” Is Not a Strategy 🚫
One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is saying:
“My product is for everyone.”
It feels logical. But in reality, it kills your marketing.
When you speak to everyone, no one feels spoken to. Let’s get specific.
Instead of:
- “We sell skincare.”
Try:
- “We help women over 55 who feel invisible in beauty marketing find high-quality skincare that respects mature skin.”
Do you feel the difference?
Specificity builds trust. Vagueness creates skepticism.
And if you already distrust digital marketing… it’s probably because you’ve seen a lot of vague, loud nonsense online. 📢 That’s not strategy. That’s noise.
Old-School Marketing Still Works (It Just Has WiFi Now)
Think about how you used to market. You probably:
- Knew your ideal customer by name.
- Understood their lifestyle.
- Knew what they could afford.
- Spoke their language.
- Built relationships.
That is audience clarity.
Digital marketing is just that — but amplified.
Instead of talking to 50 customers in a week, you can talk to 5,000.
But only if you know who they are.
How to Identify Who You’re Really Selling To
Let’s make this practical. Ask yourself:
- Who already buys from me consistently?
- What age group do they fall into?
- What problems are they trying to solve?
- What frustrates them about my industry?
- Why do they choose me instead of competitors?
If you can’t answer these clearly, pause everything else.
No website tweaks. No ad spend. No rebrand.
Audience clarity first. Always.
Why This Matters (Especially If You’re Skeptical)
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most people who say “digital marketing doesn’t work” never defined who they were marketing to.
They boosted a post. Ran a random ad. Hired someone who talked in buzzwords. And nothing happened.
That’s not because digital is a scam. It’s because strategy was missing.
When you understand your buyer:
- Your website becomes clearer.
- Your messaging becomes sharper.
- Your ads cost less.
- Your sales conversations get easier.
- Your confidence goes up.
Clarity reduces waste. 💡
Trust Is the Real Currency
Seasoned biz owners don’t distrust marketing. They distrust hype.
And honestly? So do we.
At Those Ecomm Chicks, we don’t start with funnels, fancy tech, or viral trends.
We start with this:
Who are you serving?
And why should they trust you?
Everything else builds from there.
A Simple Exercise to Try This Week
Write this sentence:
“We help ______ who are struggling with ______ by providing ______.”
If that sentence feels fuzzy, your marketing will feel fuzzy.
If that sentence feels sharp and specific, your marketing will feel confident.
That’s the foundation.