Do You Know Who Your Customers Really Are & How to Reach ...

It?s interesting to me how many people truly don?t know who their clients are let alone how to reach them. I don?t mean the clients you?ve already done business with ? chances are you?ve developed a relationship with them and know what they respond to. What I mean is the prospects you hope will become your ideal clients and customers. The ones you want to continually attract with the RIGHT marketing message? focused messaging.

Although this concept is not new, focused messaging is shaping the way marketers approach consumers. The need for narrowly focused messages that have been developed specifically for your ideal consumer; as opposed to wide spread demographics is imperative to the success of any marketing campaign. And it?s becoming increasingly so for websites.? Building successful relationships online hinges largely on the ?know, like and trust factor?. People need to know you, like you and trust you to do business and at the same time, your message must truly be crafted to connect with them and motivate action.

Savvy marketers know it?s completely pass?? to ask, ?Who is your target market? and receive an answer of something as broad as ?Women aged 18 ? 34.? (people are not defined solely by demographics and shouldn?t be treated as numbers). It simply isn?t efficient or effective to try to be all things to everyone and there needs to be more psychographic information to truly identify your ideal client. It?s important to create a client avatar or profile when developing your marketing message.

Gone are the days of being all things to everyone. If you are not really clear about who you?re talking to, your writing will reflect that and it won?t connect. So, to truly be of service and help the people you are meant to help with your products and services, you must know who you?re writing to.
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This may seem obvious to you. At the same time, I?ve seen seasoned business owners grossly underestimate how crucial it is to get crystal clear about who their ideal clients are and what they respond to. When you lack clarity about this, the marketing messages created don?t build relationships and as a result they don?t connect with your intended audience (this means no action is taken and your bottom line suffers). Before you begin writing a single piece of copy you must know who you?re speaking/writing to.
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If you think ?everyone? is your target or prospective market, your copy will be watered down. Vanilla, if you will. Bland copy doesn?t build relationships, attract your ideal clients or promote action.
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I actually once had a marketing professor in a small market claim he advised his students to target everyone in small markets because it?s too expensive to segment. I was shocked and amazed by this methodology, especially since it?s proven time and again that direct marketing to your ideal clients works best. Not everyone is your ideal client. Not everyone has interest in your product or services. And, most importantly, not everyone is prequalified to invest in what you have to offer.

?Although creating ?positioning? messages (sometimes referred to as institutional ads) to reach the masses has been standard in traditional radio, print, television and even brochure style website advertising, Web consumers aren?t buying it. Consumers crave real interaction and specialized attention like never before. Your message needs to REALLY speak to consumers on a personal and emotional level. It?s no surprise then that simple positioning marketing, advertising and promotional materials have become less effective as consumers demand more authenticity and accountability in marketing messages. Budgets also dictate the use of direct response tactics (meaning you?re motivating action and inviting people to take the next step) to bring results. Traditional positioning campaigns are becoming supplemental (budget allowing) only after direct response is in place (which is where most ad dollars are being spent). This shift necessitates alliances of copywriters and direct response marketers who manage complete direct marketing systems for clients or at the very least to ensure all messages are congruent and speaking to the ideal customer via marketing mediums they also relate to.

Finally, acknowledgement that women are the primary consumers and respond differently than men (although not new information) is beginning to show in the majority of marketing messages. Savvy marketers know who is responsible for the largest portion of buying decisions and they?re doing their homework so they can craft messages that truly connect based on media preference.

So, with all this being said:

??? ?Do you know who your customers are and how to reach them?

??? ?Or are you sending the wrong message to the wrong people?

??? ?What shifts in advertising and marketing have you seen and how is it impacting how you strategically create your messaging?

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