As you think about how to reach your target audience (the people for whom your product or service is designed), you must decide whether you should create a marketing strategy that reaches out to them directly or whether you would be better off influencing the influencers.

Let’s say you are a health food store. You believe that food is medicine and good, healthy, organic choices (the very type you sell) would benefit all sorts of people. Who should your target audience be? Those who do the grocery shopping? Yes. But who influences them?

If a friend with no particular expertise in diet or nutrition suggested you make a change in your diet, you might consider it. If your doctor told you that based on loads of research and his or her personal experience, that making a change in your diet would improve your life, you’d probably be much more likely to make a change. So, as the owner of the health food store, shouldn’t you consider marketing to healthcare professionals as well as those who buy groceries?

Depending on your budget and other marketing resources, it might be a better return on your investment to focus on the influencers. Who do you align with? Who benefits by promoting your product? When those healthcare professionals promote healthy food (referring patients to your establishment in the process), they reach their goal of enhancing their patients’ health, their patients make better food choices, and you make a profit. It’s a win-win-win.