⁠Why does your marketing go quiet when you launch something new? It's probably not your offer, your price, or your message. It's who you're talking to first.

In this episode of Strategy First — a series for Canadian small business owners on the key marketing decisions behind sustainable growth — we cover how to figure out who to market to first when you're launching a new business, a new product, or a new offer.

Using a well-known marketing framework called the adoption curve, we break down the different types of buyers in any market — from the people who'll try something brand new immediately, to the people who wait until everyone else already has. Most small businesses market to everyone the same way and wonder why nothing's landing. This episode shows you exactly who to focus on first, and why.

In this episode, you'll learn:

The different types of buyers in any market, and why most small business marketing aims at the wrong ones first

Why "early adopters" — people who are excited to try something new before anyone else has — are the key to getting traction

Why buyers who prefer to support Canadian, independent, and local businesses are often your easiest early customers

Why your marketing doesn't need to look polished or expensive to work — it just needs to be real

How the people you're marketing to should change as your business grows and builds a track record

New to the series?

Start with Episode 1 : Your Direction Decision and Episode 2: Your Competitive Decision — this episode builds on both.

➡️ Looking to work together this summer? Explore the Ways to Work With Me⁠⁠ page to book a 30min conversation, access resources, join the email list, or learn more about opportunities to work together.