This is part 3 of the 5-Days To More UX Leads course.
- Your Unique Value Proposition
- Marketing Gravity
- Watering Holes 👈 You are here
- Warm Introductions
- Paid Exposure & Sponsorships
What is a watering hole?
A watering hole in marketing is a place where your target buyers spend time, consume information, and, in some cases, contribute to discussions.
In other words, watering holes is where they hang out.
Depending on the characteristics of your buyers, these can be anywhere. From Amazon reviews to Facebook comments; from online workshops to tweetstorms.
The first step to locate your target’s watering hole is to zero in on who they are. One of the best ways to do that is to use LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator to look at the company structure and determine who reports to whom, and who’s the most likely decision-maker.
Once you’ve identified who your buyer is, you can do more specific research. Have they been interviewed? Do they have a podcast? Do they blog? — the more you know about them, the easier it is to identify where they go for information.
Finding your ideal buyer’s watering holes requires a deep understanding of your target.
Word of caution #1, you are not your buyer.
In most cases, your buyer has a completely different approach to information consumption than you, your mission is to find what it is, and not assume is the same as yours.
Don’t assume you know, follow the evidence, and keep your mind open.
Nobel-prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman famously said,
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool.”
You might find that your target buyer spends their time listening to podcasts about real estate investing rather than scrolling through TikTok. Or that they religiously read Seth’s Godin blog. Knowing these things will help you figure out what’s the best way to expose them to your message.
If your buyer likes Seth Godin, perhaps you can join a group or event organized by him. That will increase the probability of a warm introduction.
Next, in part four, we will talk more about networking and warm introductions.
Warm Introductions: The most effective way to engage with your clients
