Do you ever wonder where an idea starts and how some grow while others never take root and die a fast (or slow) death?

Even if you think you have the greatest idea (or greatest product or service for that matter), it means nothing unless its intended audience thinks the same.

That is something that’s always been hard for me (and many of you, I am sure) to swallow, even though it is a tried-and-true principle of marketing. It’s hard to believe that something we feel strongly about or love or want to offer to the world may not be welcomed or received in a similar manner.

This is why you have to remember two things:

1) It is always about your market, never about you, and

2) It’s not personal, it’s business!

Even if this project/product you are working has hit your pain point and solved a problem for you, it may not work or appeal to others.

You still have to do extensive market research so you can to pinpoint and get to know the bulk of your prospective audience. Just because something provides a benefit to you doesn’t mean the same for everyone else.

And there is much you can do for little to no cost, except for your time, which is an investment I know will pay off in spades for you once you know for certain you are offering the right product and saying the right words to the right market or markets.

You’ll find much of the information you need–no matter what your product or industry–from the comfort of your own desk, including:

• Census data
• Trade associations and industry-specific publications, as well as general business publications
• Keywords searches
• Internet (keyword searches through search engines and directories)

So while you may be thinking you’re on your way to starting a major trend or even encouraging a rush of interest or sales, you may be doing so with those “marketing blinders” I have talked about before.