The Key to Marketing Success: Target Your Message to the Right Audience
Over the past couple of days, I have been presented with online and print advertisements for protein supplements, weight loss companies, airlines, clothing companies, energy drinks, plastic surgery, alcohol, high-heel shoes and casinos.
One small obstacle, or should I say one growing obstacle… I am 28 weeks pregnant. You typically hear about breaking through the marketing clutter with strong headlines and creative, but without considering your target audience, all of your marketing dollars go down the drain. While your product or service may be beneficial to the vast majority, not every client is worth the effort. Focus your marketing dollars on a specific market that is more likely to buy from you.
How to Define Your Target Market
- Start with taking a look at the characteristics and interests of your current customer base.
- Find out who your competitors are targeting. You may not want to target their exact market, but rather find ways to reach audiences they may be missing.
- Analyze the features and benefits of your products and services and make a list of people who would have a need for them.
- Narrow down your market with demographics and psychographics like age, gender, marital status, lifestyles, interests and hobbies.
- Evaluate your market to consider whether there are enough people that fit your criteria, if they will have need for your product or service and if they can be reached effectively.
SproutLoud’s list purchase options allow you to choose for statistics such as presence of children and family specifics to help narrow down your ideal market. For the next 12 or so weeks, I will continue to take a look at the stroller, formula and boppy pillow ads that make their way to me. Maybe in a few months, I will consider to treating myself to new clothes and a vacation.