Startup & Small Business - Page 18

Connecting properly in places where they hang out
Even if at the very beginning phase of your marketing campaign you are not ready to participate actively in all aspects of the hunt, knowing where they lurk is crucial. Websites like LinkedIn are becoming more and more popular to find where key groups of people are hanging out; but remember the good stuff doesn’t all happen just in one night. You may have to hang around for awhile and participate in conversations that are not always completely relevant to get the feel of these groups.

Placing targeted ads on LinkedIn would be optimal; but there are other ways to accomplish reaching out to your target market. As far as Twitter is concerned, when you first connect with a new user, you can always send them an introduction email that shows them what you do with a URL attached. Here you are getting into a sheer numbers game, but many product marketers gladly play it, and track its data.

Beware: if you go much farther than this during a first connection, all may not go well! Some of the basics of finding your target market on the internet involve waiting. This is the reason why many marketers have other streams of revenue in the early days; it is well worth the wait to reveal what you are thriving on, or wanting people to purchase. A savvy user and potential customer will hold you in much higher regard if you two chat about other business related topics before you play all your cards and tell them your business.

Even if you are desperate for more customers, the worst way to go about this is to give someone new your entire pitch at first, such as “I am in the business of personal coaching and mentoring. If you want, I can give you a free consultation ASAP!” If you take this route of presentation, you could very easily come off as desperate.

Making sure your plan is able to find and define the target
As far as web and mobile marketing goes, it is more crucial than ever to be involved in conversations about topics that are popular and somehow leaving your mark there. Some marketers think that it is so time consuming that they may not want to leave comments on blogs with their URL and signature, but these can steer you towards some new customers and following.

Even though sometimes budget will not allow, advertising on social media can be a big boost. Some argue that Facebook is not as effective anymore and losing its kick; but hordes of people do hang out there every day and buying ad space there is always bound to reward. Even though it can always change and be hard to nail down daily, the conversion of Facebook ads is about 4.3%, a pretty high value.

Once you have your own Facebook and Twitter pages for your product or idea, your own posts can build organic traffic that may create an even bigger buzz than paid posts, but generating some followers with the paid route is one important tool in the very beginning. If you think that you know exactly who is on Twitter and how frequently, think again; the fastest growing user demographic on the social media site is 55 to 64 year olds. Depending on what your product is, this may give you a whole new dimension of placing paid ads, or simply searching for folks in who you are following. When thinking about the weekends and how to reach your target market, keep in mind that as far as social media is concerned, the weekends are not dead; there is 17% more use and engagement during this time.

The practice of making a Venn diagram (especially if what you are marketing is a book) may seem simple, but can help you figure out your target market. Simplifying where your target market may be by watching where the lines overlap can really show you whether or not to have placement of extra pushes in marketing. It can also help you distinguish whether or not time spent on certain demographics is worth it; as even smaller parts of the circle are potential customers lining up for what you have to offer.

What’s under the cover?
Not just in the book realm but in many others, the cover can really do a lot of work for you in narrowing down your target market. If you are marketing a product that is a clothing line or even Smartphone accessory, you can show the types of people you are going after using it. One surprising fact is that the luxury market stayed a little more intact during the recession, some people who wanted to escape still did. Are you providing an oasis to escape, or a lower cost activity like a coffee show that may be visited with more frequency? If you are providing a lower cost activity or product, you will need to do more volume. This is absolutely possible, but something you need to know up front.

Once you find the target market and the folks that are most apt to buy your product, there is still a lot to be done; and any trends will affect you. After understanding the proper channels, research, and where your target market spends time, you are on your way to success. With proper customer service, SEO techniques, and other web maintenance, the sky is the limit for your brand of product.

As in the surf industry this year, there are still major shakeups in the marketing world, where no one is safe and fear can come creeping around the corner. From “suggested posts” on Facebook to other tactics in social media, there are other ways to gain momentum. Once your target market starts talking to each other about how much they like to use your product, you will be happy you took the time to seek them out, and engage them aggressively.