If you want to have limitless success on the web, then there are several concepts to bear in mind. One of the most important and the most powerful though, is the ‘route to market’. This is a business term and one you may have heard of if you’ve read books like The Personal MBA. But it’s not one that is so well known in internet marketing circles. Which is why you should learn about it now.
So, what is a route to market and why does it matter?
Essentially, a route to market is a route to a specific… well market. This is a way in which you can reach the audience that you have defined as the target audience for your product, service or perhaps website.
Examples
There are lots of routes to market you are already using. For instance, you might be on Google which is a route to market.
But typically, the term is usually used to describe much more focussed and direct routes that specifically cater to your audience.
So a good example might be something like a subreddit. If you are selling a supplement aimed at martial artists, then the r/martialarts subreddit is actually a great route to market.
But there are other routes to market that are less often considered and once you start to think in this way, they can begin to present themselves to you. For instance, if you wrote an ebook on gardening, then your route to markets are places where gardeners congregate. That might mean a gardening website but it alsomeans Gardening World magazine. It also means the gardening club that meets in your local area. And it means gardening centers.
If you can access those, then you can reach the right audience and potentially enjoy a lot of success!
Why This is Important
Next time you’re thinking of how to promote your site and gain traffic, think about routes to market both offline and off. It is said that the secret formula for any successful business is to solve a problem for a group of people and then find a way to show that group of people. Routes to market take care of that last aspect.
Another powerful tip is to think about the routes to market you might already have access to. And if you have any very valuable ones maybe create a product for that market – instead of vice versa. If you’re best friends with the editor of Gardening World… use that!
