Category Archives: target market

Do You Know Whom You’re Selling To?

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Posted by admin on September 23, 2009 – 6:00 am
Filed under Marketing Strategy, attract clients, increase online sales, online marketing, target market

I’m sure clients, colleagues, and you, Dear Reader, are sick of hearing me harp on how critical it is for companies to really understand their target market.

Call me a broken record. I don’t mind.

Before I take on a new copywriting project, one of the first questions I ask a prospective client is, “Who is your target market and how do you serve them?”

Not having a clear idea of whom you’re selling to or who your prospective clients are is the number one marketing mistake you can make—online or offline. If you don’t know whom you are speaking to, you won’t know the right message to communicate.

Identifying and knowing your target market—inside and out—requires you to look at yourself, at your company, and look into whom you serve and why. Too many companies have a general idea. Some have no idea at all.

Stating a target as “anybody who needs my product” won’t cut it (believe it or not, I hear this answer all the time). Defining your target as “people in the medical field” won’t help much either. Trying to be everything to everyone isn’t going to get you the sales you want.

If you want more customers, you have to know whom you are selling to. And you should know as much about them as you can.

Let’s say you own a high-end clothing boutique. You sell products to women, but identifying your target as “all women” is much too vague because most of your inventory is designed for a younger crowd. Look closely at your clientele, and you may find most of your patrons are between 32 and 45. Look even closer, and you may uncover a majority of your clients are young professionals who make over $80,000 a year.

Keeping with this example, now that you’ve identified your target, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and brainstorm. Make a list of questions you’d like to know about your target, then answer the questions to the best of your ability. You want to define their lifestyle, hobbies, profession, anything you can that will help you speak to their needs and wants.

Be specific. Where do they shop, dine, drink? What do they read? Did they graduate from college, have a bachelor or master’s? Are they active in their community? Do they bike on weekends, or do they spend time with family? Don’t limit yourself. Keep asking questions until you feel you know these people.

It’s important to note that it doesn’t matter if this is business to consumer or business to business, you are still dealing with people at the end of the day. So, if you are business to business and your target is a CEO, you need to know everything about who that CEO is so you can connect.

The more you know, the better you can target the group, speak their language, and give them what they want. And if you know all the above, it will help you further define the business message you want—a message that will attract your target audience to you.

Once you start mining to find out who your target market is, it has been my experience that many businesses find that their message isn’t clear, effective, or targeted to the correct market. It can be extremely difficult for businesses to project an accurate message, one that encompasses a combination of their company’s products, beliefs, mission, and goals if they don’t have a clear vision of their target market.

If you’re uncomfortable with the message you’re sending potential customers online, it’s time to change this message and solidify a strong brand image.

Just remember, speak to everyone, and you’re likely to get no one.

Are You Reallly Connecting with Your Target Audience?

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Posted by admin on July 14, 2009 – 9:28 am
Filed under Business Communication, attract clients, online marketing, small business marketing, target market

In order to attract prospects and turn them into paying customers, you must connect with your target audience in the most clear, concise, and effective way. Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard), consider the 4 common mistakes businesses make, and take action to create a clear message.

Mistake 1: The #1 mistake companies make is not deciding or knowing what your website needs to do (its purpose) or where it falls in the sales process.

Action Steps to Avoid This Mistake:

  • Write down the purpose of the website. What action do you want visitors to take? Do you want them to call you, order online, or set up a free demo? Be as specific as possible.
  • Write down the purpose of each webpage. Remember, not all pages need to have the same purpose.
  • When you are clear about what action you want visitors to take, write clear calls to action for each webpage.

Mistake 2: The #2 mistake companies make is they focus their website message on what they think is important and not what the target needs and wants to see. You will not connect with your prospects or communicate effectively if you don’t know whom you are speaking to.

Action Steps to Avoid This Mistake:

  • Narrow down your target, and be as specific as you can. You want to know and understand your prospects. Not only do you need to know the demographics but also the psychographics.
  • Create a list of characteristics of your ideal client.
  • Know what keeps them up at night. If you don’t know, ask current clients or send them a survey.
  • Study your target audience, and speak specifically to them.

Mistake 3: The #3 mistake companies make in their online message is they don’t clearly describe their product or service and focus on the benefits. As obvious as it seems, many companies do not clearly state what their product / service is and what it does for customers.

Action Steps to Avoid This Mistake:

  • Start by listing what your service or product does. Then, list the correlating benefit. Do this for each service or product you sell. Don’t forget, there may be more than one benefit.
  • If you get stuck, interview yourself, or have someone close to you interview you. Doing so, you will get clear on what problem the product / service solves, how long will it take for benefits to occur, and what makes your service / product different from the others?
  • When writing your marketing copy, focus the message on the benefit to the customer.

Mistake 4: The #4 mistake is not updating your message. How many times have you been to a website and you can tell from a glance that it’s been neglected or it’s outdated?

Action Steps to Avoid This Mistake:

  • Frequently reevaluate your website copy and your marketing copy to see if it is current. Your web copy should to be up-to-date and well written.
  • Your message must be relevant to the target market – good copy will suck them in. Bad copy will bore them and drive them away.
  • Know your client, and always stay focused on the benefit or the outcome. What does the prospect get once they use your product, take your class, or hire you?

Ever Dream You Could Have Your Own Talk Show?

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Posted by admin on May 15, 2009 – 4:53 am
Filed under Audio Marketing, Business Communication, RSS Feed, attract clients, blogging for business, increase site traffic, marketing trends, target market

If you’re looking to interact with prospects in a unique and effective way, BlogTalkRadio is an excellent platform to look into. Not only is it free, but it’s also a fantastic way to increase online presence, gain brand recognition and credibility, and increase inbound links. With BlogTalkRadio, internet users can listen to a variety of channels, choose the category they’re interested in, and participate in a deeper, interactive experience.

Attracting your specific target market with BlogTalkRadio is simple. Choose from a wide variety of categories that best fit the description of your blog: dream, golf, culture, comedy, film, marketing, pets, spirituality, travel, and so much more. BlogTalkRadio is an excellent tool to use if you want to weed out those who are not in your target market—only the ones who are interested will click on your category.

So, what are the features and benefits of BlogTalkRadio for listeners?

• RSS feed, iTunes, and other feed readers, allow listeners to subscribe to shows and join in weekly for the next dish of news.

• No software download is required for using BlogTalkRadio—just a feed reader.

• No money is required to subscribe or listen to talk shows—they’re free!

• Listeners with questions have the opportunity to interact with the host and better understand the talk show content.    

What are the features and benefits of BlogTalkRadio for businesses?

• BlogTalkRadio is a revolutionary, online social networking tool that enables businesses that blog the opportunity to directly connect with their target audience. All a host needs is a phone and a computer.

• BlogTalkRadio offers hosts the opportunity to create live, call-in talk shows, which anyone can listen to. Once the show goes live, it will automatically be saved and can be used as a podcast in the future.

• BlogTalkRadio allows businesses to measure how many people are listening and downloading their talk shows.

• BlogTalkRadio provides hosts the opportunity to customize their personal profile by including a blog link, a link to their website, a video, or any other widget.

• BlogTalkRadio requires no software to be downloaded. All viewers and hosts need is a computer and phone.

• BlogTalkRadio offers hosts the opportunity for hosts and listeners to interact during and after the show. Listeners’ questions can be answered, and businesses can build credibility and online exposure.

Branding Your Company Online: What Message Are You Sending Online Viewers?

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Posted by admin on February 16, 2009 – 5:09 pm
Filed under SEO, SEO copywriter, client attraction, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, online marketing, target market, update webcopy

Are you concerned about how customers perceive your brand image online? Perhaps your website currently isn’t a strong branding tool for you. If not, it should be.

Many businesses find that their message isn’t clear, effective, and targeted to their correct market. It can be extremely difficult for businesses to project an accurate message, encompassing a combination of their company’s products, beliefs, mission, and goals. The message is a mixture of several key elements, including effectively placing keywords to increase SEO, which makes the task of projecting company image quite precise and complicated.

Crafting your brand image online is an extremely important client attraction tool. With a result-driven business message, your targeted website visitors will understand the language and tone of the web copy, and the client will feel a stronger connection to your brand. Once this bond is established, the customers will be more inclined to take action and purchase from you.

The customer wants to feel compatible with all your company stands for. For example, if your brand image is high-end, a high-end client will be attracted and comfortable with this image and, in turn, will want to buy from you.

Since fashioning a company message online is both complex and important, it would be highly beneficial for your company to hire a professional copywriter.

A professional copywriter:

·         Interviews the company to pull out key elements vital to the business message.

·         Recognizes the company image and puts this image into the written word—the message.

·         Creates well-crafted copy that speaks the language of the target market.

·         Strategically places keywords to increase SEO.

·         Facilitates a connection between the brand image and the client through the use of a creative tone in the copy.

If you’re uncomfortable with the message you’re sending potential customers online, it’s time to change this message and solidify a strong brand image.

 

Why Now Is The Time To Invest In Your Business

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Posted by admin on January 21, 2009 – 5:58 am
Filed under Copywriting, Growing Business, Marketing Tip, attract clients, grow your business, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, marketing trends, small business marketing, target market

Now is a critical time for businesses to invest in their marketing.

According to a McGraw-Hill study, businesses that maintained or increased their marketing during the 1981-82 recession:

–Averaged higher sales growth during the recession and over the next three years, and by 1985, had increased sales 256% over those companies that cut marketing…

–Then in 2001, another study found that aggressive marketers increased market share 2½ times the average for all businesses in the post-recession!

Those who stepped up their marketing were the big winners during and after the recession.

The time to grow your business is now. 

The most effective way to grow your business is to invest in your online presence. If you don’t have a website, now invest in one. If your site is stale and the content is outdated, now is the time to revamp it.

Your website is the easiest and fastest way to advertise your services or product. But there’s a catch: you have 3 to 5 seconds to grab a prospective client’s attention.

One. Two. Three. And they are gone.

And with millions of websites to choose from, the competition is fierce. Want to stay ahead of the crowd, rank high on search engines, and reach millions of prospective customers? 

You must have compelling web copy.

Having a clear business message on your website is the #1 action you can take to attract ideal clients online and skyrocket your sales. 

Your marketing message must speak to your target audience. Give them what they are hungry for. Get them to take action. Communicate in a clear, concise, informative way.

5 Steps to Attract All the Clients You Want

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Posted by admin on January 10, 2009 – 8:01 pm
Filed under Marketing Strategy, SEO copywriter, attract clients, client attraction, grow your business, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, online marketing, target market, web copy
  • Have you considered reworking your marketing message to better reach and speak to your target audience?
  • When was the last time you updated your website copy?
  • Revised your services brochure?
  • Revisited the email sales letters you regularly send?

If the answer is “It’s been a while” or “I don’t know,” then it’s time to give your marketing copy a makeover.

With the economic downturn, it’s important—now more than ever—to take a look at how you can improve your marketing message.

Why?

Your marketing copy has the power to bring you new customers and retain current ones. It connects you with your clients. Entices them to buy. Drives them to call you. Copy makes or breaks the sale.

Many companies are unaware their marketing message is driving customers away—both new and repeat business. If your current website copy or marketing materials aren’t bringing you the profits or the clients you want, the good news is that a change in your copy can drastically increase sales.

Step 1: Know Your Target Market

Before you write a word of marketing copy, you need to understand who will be buying from you. Knowing and understanding your target market is crucial for any company—from the one-person shop to the large corporation. Why? It’s simple. You can’t market effectively if you don’t know whom you are speaking to.

The key is to narrow down your target and get as specific as you can. There’s a big difference between the following:
a) My target audience is new mothers who want a career change; and
b) My target audience is new mothers in their late 30s who are interested in leaving their corporate jobs and starting their own businesses. They are married, most have master-level degrees, enjoy an active lifestyle, and are members of a gym.

Take this a step further and make a list of where your target market likes to shop and dine, what they do to relax, where they go for their information, what magazines they read on a regular basis. The more specific you get, the easier it will be to write marketing copy that will speak to and attract your target market. 

Stay tuned for Step #2 in the next blog post. If you can’t wait, check out www.webcopywritingqueen.com

Targeted Traffic: How to Bring the Right Prospects to Your Website

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Posted by admin on January 6, 2009 – 7:56 pm
Filed under Growing Business, SEO, SEO copywriter, attract clients, blogging for business, client attraction, grow your business, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, online marketing, target market, web traffic

Reaching your target market online ensures a steady flow of clients from different online sources. Making your business visible in numerous areas on the web increases the number of potential clients who will look at your site. This can eventually increase sales, skyrocket site traffic, and boost your conversion rates.  

Here are some ways to bring in targeted traffic to your website:

·       Posting online articles on directories, forums, and social bookmarking sites is a great way to present your business to your specific targeted market. These sites have categories where articles can be posted, allowing viewers to immediately click on categories related to their specific interests. For example, if you offer skin care services and write an article on revolutionized products, you would place it under its associated category and viewers interested in this category would be viewing your article. Right there, you’ve reached your target market.

·       Research the richest keywords for your website. For example, if you own a high-end day spa, it’s important to anticipate the most popular words your target market is using on search engines. This will allow you to increase your SEO (search engine optimization) and reach out to clients with a specific interest in your company and its offerings.

·       Comment on blogs and forums that relate to your industry. These comments can be chock-full of tips and information about your industry, while expressing your opinion in the blog or forum conversation. Know what kinds of blogs and forums would interest your target market and make frequent appearances on them to show you are interested in comments, news, and updates related to your area of work.

Observing Customer Behavior Online with Heat Maps

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Posted by admin on January 3, 2009 – 11:16 pm
Filed under Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, marketing trends, online marketing, small business marketing, target market, web traffic, website navigation

In-store selling allows you to make useful observations, helping you to better understand the customer’s wants and needs and helping you to interpret ways to satisfy these needs. You’re able to answer questions immediately in person, observe if the customer seems confused and notice what the customer’s attention is focused on. In-person communication can also help you to use different selling tactics to sell the product / service based on customer objections.

Observing customers online is difficult since there’s no direct interaction with the consumer. There are now excellent online tools that allow you to collect data on where customers are looking on the website. One such tool is a heat map. A heat map is an excellent way to help you make positive changes to your marketing campaigns, selling tactics, advertisements, website element positioning, and web copy changes.

Heat maps track eye movement on a website page to show where viewers are looking the most. Knowing the key areas where consumers are focused allows you to understand where important links and information should go. “Hot spots” are color-coded areas on the webpage, showing where consumers are looking the most.

Let’s say there’s a great deal of eye movement toward a certain area of your site but not many clicks in this area. This is a hint that perhaps the link isn’t enticing enough to click or it’s not important to the user. At this point, you’d either change the phrasing of the link or switch the link with a more significant one. Heat maps can help you redesign your website and try new additions, replacements, and more.

A great website offering heat maps is Crazyegg.com. It provides heat map services for a low price. 

Maximize Your Marketing Efforts in Any Economy

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Posted by admin on December 29, 2008 – 5:55 pm
Filed under Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, SEO, SEO copywriter, attract clients, blogging for business, grow your business, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, marketing trends, online advertising, online buying behavior, online marketing, press releases, small business marketing, social networking, target market, web traffic, website

How would you like to be able to keep growing your business no matter what the economy does?

Sign up for expert online copywriter Michelle Salater’s Online Business Marketing Bootcamp for Beginners, and she’ll show you everything you need to know to go where the customers are—online—and grow your business by maximizing your marketing efforts.

And do it in any economy. 

Over the course of 8 weeks, you will work one-on-one with Michelle as she shows you the same tips, tactics, and strategies she used to take her own business from flat broke to so busy she has to turn customers away…and she did this all within one year.

 

Because Michelle really wants to help you grow your business online without struggling so you can skyrocket your sales in 2009, she’s offering a $200 Early Bird Discount to those who sign up before January 4, 2008 (midnight PST). 

 

— http://www.marketingonlinebootcamp.com/

Now is A CRITICAL TIME for businesses to invest in their marketing. And the best way and most cost efficient way to do this is to market online.

A 2001 McGraw-Hill study found that aggressive recession advertisers / marketers increased their market share 2 ½ times the average for all businesses than in post-recession.

How would you like to increase your market share 2 ½ times?

If you’d like to skyrocket your online sales, increase website traffic, and save thousands of dollars by implementing online strategies on your own, NOW IS YOUR TIME to sign up for Michelle’s Online Business Marketing Bootcamp for Beginners. The course begins January 21st.

She can’t make it any easier for you than the 3-payment option she’s made available and the Early Bird Special (save $200) that ends at midnight January 4, 2009.  

Remember, this special offer won’t be available after January 4…

–http://www.marketingonlinebootcamp.com/

Increase Site Traffic with RSS Feed

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Posted by admin on December 15, 2008 – 5:40 pm
Filed under Marketing Tip, RSS Feed, attract clients, client attraction, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, marketing trends, online marketing, small business marketing, target market

The number of internet users has dramatically increased in recent years and is still climbing. More people are using RSS readers to provide them with new articles, blogs, website updates, and more from their favorite sites.

RSS feed stands for Really Simple Syndication, which is a file containing a brief amount of information (a headline and synopsis) and a link to the full content on the website / blog. Voluntary subscribers to the website / blog RSS feed will receive this information through their RSS readers. Some examples of RSS readers are My Yahoo, NewsGator Online, and Bloglines.com.

If a website has an RSS feed, it will alert people who have subscribed to it with links to new articles, information, and blogs, which have been posted on the site at that time. This saves people the time and aggravation of going through all the websites they enjoy to search for the newly added elements.

If you know you have a great site with useful information and excellent products / services to offer, then it’s important to recognize all the ways in which you can help increase traffic to your site and reach out to thousands of potential clients.

Bottom line: having an RSS feed on your website / blog will greatly benefit your site.

* It will bring people up-to-date on your achievements, tips, hints, industry news, and express your expertise to clients.

* Viewers who love your site will subscribe to your RSS feed and click on fresh updates from your site on their RSS reader, increasing traffic to your site.

* Newly added information will reach thousands of potential clients and increase SEO.