The foundational advice you’ll hear many brand experts share is to know and clearly define your target audience.

“The riches are in the niches!” is a favorite saying of mine and one I often remind my students of as they hope to monetize their expertise. But what happens when you have two target audiences? Are you doomed? Is there a way to handle this?

For starters, know that you aren’t alone. Especially for professionals looking to build their personal brand and sell their services on LinkedIn, the challenge of catering to dual audiences — the corporate buyer (B2B) and the professional in corporate America (B2C) — is one many face.

I advocate for a strategic approach centered on understanding the ultimate beneficiary of your services or products.

This newsletter will delve into tactical steps to effectively reach and resonate with two distinct audiences by focusing on the “ultimate best outcomes.”

Understanding Your Audiences 

Before diving into strategies, it's crucial to define and understand your two primary audiences on LinkedIn:

- The Corporate Buyer (B2B): This group seeks solutions that will enhance their operations, increase profitability, or solve a specific problem within their company.

-The Professional in Corporate America (B2C): These individuals are looking for opportunities to grow professionally, solve personal career challenges, or make a significant change, like transitioning from employment to entrepreneurship.

My “Ultimate Beneficiary Strategy” to Straddling Two Audiences

The cornerstone of this approach is identifying who directly benefits from your services or the most aspirational outcome of your offering. By targeting your messaging toward the ultimate success your primary audience seeks, you naturally attract your secondary audience who will benefit from the success the primary audience experiences.

Example 1: Career Transition Coaching

Imagine you're a coach specializing in helping women transition from corporate roles to entrepreneurship. Your primary audience might be women already in the throes of establishing their own businesses. By showcasing success stories, strategies, and insights tailored to these entrepreneurs, you're providing value to them and inspiring your secondary audience — women contemplating this transition. This method paints a vivid picture of what the future could hold for those still in corporate roles, effectively bridging the gap between where they are and where they could be.

Example 2: Leadership Training Programs

Consider a scenario where you offer leadership training aimed at newly promoted managers. While your program directly benefits these individuals by equipping them with essential leadership skills, positioning this offering highlights the transformative impact on the organizations they belong to. By focusing on these managers' success stories and outcomes, you demonstrate to heads of HR — your secondary audience — the tangible benefits and value your training brings to their organization. This approach not only addresses the immediate needs of the managers but also aligns with the strategic goals of HR departments.

Strategies for Engaging Dual Audiences on LinkedIn 

1. Success Storytelling: Regularly post success stories or case studies that highlight the achievements of individuals or organizations within your primary audience. These narratives serve as powerful testimonials to the effectiveness of your offerings and inspire both your primary and secondary audiences.

2. Engagement and Discussion: Initiate and participate in discussions that are relevant to both groups. Pose questions, share insights, and comment on trends that appeal to both corporate buyers and professionals, fostering a community around your brand.

3. Use your profile to address both: While your LinkedIn posts can address the specific challenges and desires of your primary audience, along with success tips and tactics, your profile can be a bit broader. Particularly in your About Section, you can break down how you help your secondary audience achieve success by working with the primary audience.

4. Always build your network with both audience types: Active network building is something you should do every day on LinkedIn. By utilizing LinkedIn's segmentation tools under people search, you should add members of both your primary and secondary audience. That way, both see your posts that address the success of the primary audience and will check out your profile, where you address how you help both.

Conclusion

Successfully catering to dual audiences on LinkedIn requires a nuanced understanding of their unique needs and aspirations. By focusing on the ultimate beneficiary of your offerings, you can craft a compelling narrative that resonates with both groups. This strategic approach not only clarifies your personal branding but also amplifies your impact, allowing you to inspire and engage with a broader audience.