| Okay, so you have a good product or service and | | | | Your marketing materials-and even the price point of |
| you're ready to market it. | | | | your product itself-must reflect the different |
| Or are you? Maybe you have no idea how to target | | | | motivations and images of the groups, or you stand |
| your market because "everybody" is your target | | | | to lose half your audience. (Perhaps all of it.) |
| market. | | | | Some ways you can customize your marketing |
| Before you begin your marketing campaign, you'll | | | | message: |
| need to figure out exactly who your audience is. | | | | --Write your web copy in plain, jargon-free English. |
| While it's possible that "everybody" does want your | | | | Then, have "click for more information" links leading |
| product or service, the reality is that "everybody" is | | | | to pages where certain segments of your audience |
| still made up of individuals with certain things in | | | | (e.g. tech geeks, medical professionals) can find more |
| common that make them want to buy from you. | | | | detail. |
| In other words, you have several different target | | | | --Create different landing pages with material tailored |
| audiences, and each one needs to be talked to as if | | | | to different audiences, with your pay-per-click ads |
| they're your only one. | | | | corresponding to the different pages (e.g. short copy |
| Target audience is defined by characteristics such as | | | | vs. long copy). |
| age, gender, income, educational level, marital status, | | | | --Have a shorter home page, but with menu links |
| geographic location, political orientation, whether the | | | | leading to pages for different segments of your |
| buyer has kids and/or pets, etc. In order to reach | | | | market (e.g. retired people, work-at-home moms). |
| your varying audiences, you'll need to customize your | | | | A similar strategy would be applied to your print |
| marketing materials, using the language that speaks | | | | materials such as brochures. |
| to each. | | | | A professional copywriter will know how to |
| As an example of two different groups of people | | | | customize your marketing materials for your varying |
| interested in the same product, let's say you have an | | | | audiences. "Bonus tip": when you're looking for a |
| e-book about caring for Himalayan cats. Some people | | | | copywriter to work with, ask if they've written |
| will have paid a breeder hundreds of dollars for their | | | | fiction or ghostwritten autobiography. One who has |
| cat, while others will have adopted theirs from a | | | | will be especially skilled at writing in different voices. |
| breed-specific rescue organization or even an animal | | | | Remember, your target market is never |
| shelter. The "I'd never own a cat that doesn't have | | | | "everybody"-it's distinct groups of people with distinct |
| papers" group is very different from the "I couldn't | | | | wants, needs, and goals. |
| let that poor cat just sit there at the shelter" group. | | | | |