Small Businesses Need To Fish Where The Fish Are! First, you need to define what kind of fish you’re fishing for! If I ask you to define your target market and you answer, “everyone,” you have flunked Target Marketing 101! Even monopolies have a specific target market. Anglers don’t toss out bass plugs to catch trout. If you are running ads directed to “everyone” you most likely are reaching no one. Result: no or poor results. Ad money wasted. Empty creel! No (YOUR AREA/TOWN) business has an unlimited supply of dollars to waste on “shot gunning” their ad message to “everyone” in hopes of hitting someone who might be interested in their sales proposition. You need to clearly define your target audience: sex, age range, income level, education level, special interests, geographical area, etc. The more precise your description, the better. Brainstorm with your staff. Chat with your customers. Whether you are starting a new enterprise or have a going business, you’ll find that you are specializing in one or more of these areas: 1. Satisfying basic needs, not “wants.” 2. Solving problems. 3. Helping people feel good and/or avoid pain. Decide which one(s) your business offers and then drill down to bare bones to further define your specialty. Yes, I said “specialty.” Small and independent businesses can only survive in this era of the big boxes by specializing in something—one or more of the above 3 areas. A locally owned pharmacy might choose to mail or deliver prescriptions at no extra charge to the customer. By so doing, the pharmacy can compete and even “thrive” in spite of the big box drug stores. Whatever your business, find a way to capture vital demographic information about your customers. Offer to put them on your preferred mailing list (assuming you have one) to notify them of upcoming promotional events prior to public release. Join and be active in local (YOUR AREA/TOWN) organizations whose membership matches with your target audience. Pass out 2-sided business cards: one side with your business vitals, the other side with your Unique Selling Position. F.Y.I., here’s a sample Target Market description for an upscale men’s clothing store: “Professional men (25-65) whose work environment requires a business suit or sport coat and who desire and appreciate a natural shoulder fit. These men live primarily in upscale areas in the market and earn $75,000 plus annually. Most are married with an average of 2 children. Their sports of choice are golf, tennis and hiking. 50% of them are members of either a local athletic club or the country club.” Would this business be likely to run an ad in a 100% advertising shopper or in the pages of a local newspaper? Would this business run “hard-sell” ads jam-packed with clothing line listings showing regular and sale prices? “No” and ”no”. You get the idea. Once you’ve clearly defined your own Unique Selling Position and your own Target Market, you are almost ready to create EFFECTIVE newspaper ads. Almost! Marketing Emporium 636 Horizon Drive, Unit 604 Grand Junction, Co 81506 Direct telephone: 970-210-8648 |
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