At its core, demand generation is pretty straightforward. You find the right audience. You show them the right message. But even simple things can get complicated, especially if your company has big goals and limited resources.
At Wheels Up Collective, we like to keep things simple. We think about demand generation in terms of eyeballs and megaphones. And this blog gives you a demand gen cheat sheet that’s easy to understand, easy to implement, and—most importantly—effective.
Here's how it works:
Step 1: Find Your Eyeballs (Audience)
A lot of marketers start by shouting into the void. We suggest pausing before any marketing efforts even start. That way, you can make sure you're shouting at the right people. This step alone will set you far and above a lot of the competition.
Look to identify your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). These are the sweet spots where your product or service solves a real problem for a particular, identifiable audience. The key is doing your homework. Research your market, survey existing customers, and talk to your sales team to uncover customer pain points and buying behaviors. Customer surveys, social listening, and tools like Google Analytics will give you a clearer picture of who your audience is and what they need.
Once you’ve defined your ICP, zero in on places your message will resonate. This will set the stage for selecting the best channels—your megaphones—to spread the word.
Step 2: Choose Your Megaphones (Channels)
Now that you know WHO you want to reach, decide HOW to get their attention. This is where the megaphones come in. There’s no shortage of demand generation channels out there: paid ads, organic social media, content partnerships, influencer marketing, and more.
But here’s the catch: Not all channels are created equal. What works for one audience likely won’t work for another. For the best odds, you have to align your channels with your audience's habits. Are they scrolling through Instagram in the evenings? Are they Googling solutions to their problems? Do they tune in to podcasts during their commute?
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Take a calculated risk and test a few different channels to see which ones give you the best bang for your buck. After all, it’s not just about shouting louder—it’s about shouting smarter.
Step 3: Measure Your Success
Alright, so you’ve got your eyeballs and you’ve picked your megaphones. You’ve even launched a few campaigns. Now it’s time to see whether your efforts are paying off. Tracking success is all about the metrics that matter.
Start with the basics:
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Conversion rates
These are your guiding stars. They tell you if your efforts are efficient and whether you're bringing in high-value leads. But don't stop there. Engagement metrics like click-through rates, social shares, and content consumption will help you understand how well your message is resonating with your audience.
Step 4: Iterate Based on Learnings
If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to pivot. The beauty of “eyeballs and megaphones” is in its flexibility. Demand generation is an ongoing process of learning and improving. So be prepared to adjust your messaging, tweak your channel mix, or even refine your ICP if you have to.
As your business grows and evolves, so too will your audience and the channels that best serve them. Sometimes, you’ll need to scale. Other times, you’ll change course. Be ready to experiment, track results, and adjust accordingly. It’s all part of the game.
Demand generation doesn’t need to be a complicated maze of tactics and strategies. Focus on the essentials: Find the right audience, use the best channels, measure your success, and act based on what you see.
It's simple, it's effective, and it works. Need more details on how to get started? Check out our ebook, Demand Generation for Startups: How to Drive Sales Without Losing Your Mind for the full rundown.
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