How well do you know your customers?

Do you know what your customers read? Can you really know your customers or prospects properly if you don't know the news stories they are interested in or the publications that they follow?

Most people will take in at least three sources of news...

• A national daily news source – for some, this might be listening to BBC Radio 4’s Today program or checking the headlines on a news website, or reading a national newspaper, even if it is just a skim read.

• A publication that targets their vertical market – it is essential to know the gossip of the marketplace. Who is buying who? Who’s doing what and who for? Your customers want to know what’s going on around them and so should you!

• A business title – something that expands the mind, generates ideas and informs them about what is going on in the broader marketplace.

This is just a rule of thumb, many people will read more and some will read less - and remember, they don't necessarily just read the magazine or website versions of the above types of media. They may just subscribe to the Twitter or LinkedIn feed. With social media spreading like wildfire, unlimited and immediate access to current news has never been easier.

In an ideal world, we would suggest that you ask 10 of your current customers or prospective customers what they read and why. This should provide a good idea of where you should target your PR and Marketing efforts to receive best value.