Reaching Out to Your Targeted Customer

By Gordon

In earlier blogs, I illustrated that business people in their 50s and 60s are using the Internet – on average – nine hours a week. In my last blog, we shared an article from Forbes that clearly states “C-suite” executives use the Internet to do research – and about half of those executives do their own research. This led me to conclude that, “combining relevant web content and search engine optimization is the very essence of a strong Internet presence today.”

Wonderful – but you should be asking, “How do I reach out to my targeted customers on the Internet?” People using the Internet share a lot of information about themselves and their interests by completing profiles for Linked-In and Facebook and through their own online behaviors. This allows marketers such as Google to use keywords and search patterns to target them specifically and to offer a compelling reason to respond or visit your website. This might be “authoritative” content on demand such as webinars, blogs, etc. or, it could be a special offer – “50% off your next round of golf at your favorite resort.”

As a “C-suite” executive, you and your company can identify and reach target markets using four different parameters to focus and direct your online marketing messages and campaigns:

Geographic: You can target a very narrow set of zip codes in one market area such as a city or around specific store locations in specific zip codes. Online marketing can easily be expanded to the state, national, or international level.

Demographic: Since so many fill out online profiles, you can target age, gender, income, occupation, and education – these last two are very important in business-to-business marketing.

Psychographic: The life style, motivation, benefits sought, and loyalty characteristics – what websites do CPAs, lawyers, and small business executives visit? Remember from my last post, “The C-Suite is probably one of the most passionate personalities… They are not only passionate about their businesses but about their hobbies, families and causes.”

Behaviors: What needs are they seeking to fill, how do they do their research, what websites do they frequent? What websites do they visit to satisfy their professional interests, learn more about their hobbies, enhance their family life, and support their causes?

For example, one of our key markets is the chief executive, chief operating, or chief marketing officer in small to mid-sized food manufacturers. They tend to be strong family men or women, generally conservative, many play golf or tennis, and most enjoy wine. Professionally, they depend on select websites for insight and information. They are active in Food Marketing Institute, Institute of Food Technologists, and other professional organizations.

Generally, I can tell you the annual sales of the company and the size of the marketing budget as well as their target markets and common strengths and weaknesses. In addition, they tend to travel and are typically in their 50s but can be in their 40s.

In the past, I would use this “client profile” to select “industry specific” trade publications, direct mail, and some trade articles but today, I can target them by selecting the right Google Adwords based on their “likely search words” and websites they are likely to visit within a defined geographic area. Limiting or expanding these different variables allows you to better manage the budget while reaching the proper target market.

This ability to focus Internet and search engine marketing on targeted markets allows you to deliver your “targeted message” to your prospects and create an immediate, measurable response. Targeted online marketing campaigns employ a battery of metrics to closely measure response allowing us to adjust or modify messaging to improve response rate.

The Internet and its ability to reach out to your targeted customers is a powerful tool that should play an important role in reaching and cultivating new customers.

How can these four segmentation strategies be applied to reaching your targeted customer? Let us know in the comments.

About the Author

Gordon O'Neill is the founder and CEO of O'Neill Communications and has over 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations, Gordon is invested in each client’s success. He is talented in creating strong brand identities and setting the strategic direction for businesses and associations in a wide range of industries, including finance, government, tourism, manufacturing, professional service firms, technology, and consumer goods.

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