Targeting Your Market
In marketing, there are two approaches, often referred to
as the "shotgun" approach, and the "sharpshooter"
approach. Now, while I do not think that customers are prey
to be hunted, there IS some wisdom in this analogy.
The Shotgun approach is when you do a lot of cheap ads, that
scatter a lot of marketing over a group of people, in the
hopes that one might be interested and buy. It is a form of
"non-targeted" advertising.
The Sharpshooter approach is when you aim your ads directly
at people whom you know are already interested in what you
have.
In the internet world, there is little excuse for NOT targeting
your ads! There are ways you can do it that do not even involve
research or expense. Merely choosing to advertise using smart
keywords, or putting your ads on sites that deal directly
with the topic of your site is a means of tightly targeting
your ads.
Targeting starts with WHERE you advertise, but it also includes
HOW you advertise. Your incentives need to be related to your
product, your marketing messages need to appeal to the people
who are most likely to buy your product.
You'll notice that when you get your newspaper, there are
circulars inserted into it. There will be ads for cars, pizza,
groceries, etc. You'll notice that the ads that are included
in there are for things that pretty much EVERYONE needs. With
those items, there is no need to target.
If, on the other hand, you sell replacement parts for laptops,
a circular insert is NOT a good idea. You'll pay for every
one of those ads that gets thrown away, and there is a greater
chance that they WILL be thrown away since they are not targeted.
If you mailed the same insert though, to readers of a computer
repair professional magazine, the numbers would be quite different!
The percentage that got thrown away would be far fewer.
The same rules work online. And they are the reason that
Traffic Exchanges, SafeLists, and Announcement Lists do not
work. Everyone is there to SELL, not to buy! No one is interested
in your product! And marketing to people who you KNOW are
not interested is just a waste of your time or money.
On the other hand, if you use article marketing, that delivers
VERY highly targeted marketing, because you can write an article
about a topic which directly pertains to your business, and
attract people who want what you have. Some writers don't
seem to get that though - I see articles about cats and dogs
which are written by people who have a web marketing business.
Where's the connection? As a reader, I'm not interested in
clicking their link!
With marketing, it is much better to be a sniper. Aim your
marketing at the people who logically WANT it, not at people
who could care less.
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