Target Marketing

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Target Marketing

 

Have you heard the term; Target Marketing?  And have you actually explored its awesome potential to increase your profits and exposure?  Perhaps we should start at the very beginning and explore exactly what Target Marketing really is.

Definition:
Target Marketing
involves breaking a market into segments and then concentrating your marketing efforts on one or a few key segments.  Target marketing can be the key to a small business’s success.

Supplied by About.com

 

We've sent out mass mails to poor innocent potential clients hoping they have enough time to read our literature, and then the patience to actually explore the links you provided that (hopefully) would take them back to your website.  We've done some basic SEO (as described in one of my previous articles) and we've also spent time working on our website (also in one of my previous articles) to ensure that clients are able to understand what you are offering and then purchase it when they want it.

But we have to get smarter, the days of the aforementioned being the only means of marketing have come to an abrupt halt.  Everyone is doing it, so we have to be faster, better and more interesting that our competition. 

But HOW?  Let's take a closer look.  Who are we marketing to?  Have you honestly sat down and studied your client?  Where do they shop?  What are they interested in?  What makes them consider a product or service?  Are there any groups or networking associations that they might be part of?  Do they enjoy a certain type of book?  Or certain type of food?

Let's say your company specialize in selling running shoes.  You might have a website where they can purchase the shoes online and have them delivered to their door.  You might also have a retail outlet in a certain area but people are still unaware of your where your store is (even though most of your clients live in the same area).  Perhaps you've even tried handing out fliers at the robot intersection by your store but still, not enough clients are purchasing from you.

Here's the key: we have to get them at their weakest point.  At the point where they long for a good pair of running shoes.  Where would this be?  At gym right?  Or perhaps at a charity race in your neighborhood.  Now marketing a product at a gym might be very difficult and expensive, but approaching the gym management and telling them you are willing to sponsor a pair of running shoes as a prize in their next newsletter to all their clients wouldn't hurt your profits one bit, now would it?

And perhaps for the charity race you could sponsor a runner (or runner's) by kitting them out with a branded  T-shirt,  shorts and running shoes.  You could also contact the organizer's and sponsor a gift voucher to the race winner as part of their prize for coming first!  All you ask in return is that the organizers of the race include your logo in their newsletters, banners and marketing material.

Here's another idea!  People who long for a good pair of running shoes are perhaps reading a book on losing weight, or better yet; are shopping for foods that are healthier and have reduced fat.  How can we market in this arena without blowing the budget out of the water?  Why not contact a local publisher and find out if they are going to be releasing a book in the next month on (Tada!) losing weight.  Then offer the publisher a wonderful bonus that they can use to sell their book: you include a bookmark which also happens to be a 25% discount voucher that the readers can claim when they are all fired up about being healthy and carrying out their goals.  Trust me, there is no better time to sell running shoes when the client has made a decision to read a book on losing weight.

And that's the key: to get to the clients when they really want your product.  It is the fundamental law in target marketing and is certainly the difference between a successful company and one that is not.

Remember, marketing is not only about selling product.  It is about building a relationship.  And if your target audience sees your involvement in charity drives as well as giving discounts to people who want to loose weight, you are going to be perceived as a caring, reputable and friendly company; all of which are keywords that massive organizations spend millions on trying to portray via traditional marketing methods such as TV, radio and newsletters. 

Final note; if you are going to market to niche groups, you must maintain a spotless reputation with sparkling service so that when someone from the charity race buys from you; he is sure to recommend you to all his friends and family as well.  Spruce up your store, dust off those name-tags, play some inspiring and motivational music and have your staff trained up to give outstanding service!

Until next time: Happy Marketing!

Jadeye

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