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Hi Winston;
Target marketing (for me) is a classic example of what F. Scott Fitzgerald meant when he talked about "the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."
You're right that it's hard to find good information about this, because most people don't really understand it. That and branding, but that's another topic. lol
I'll cover the technique, as well as the pros and cons. Then it's open to questions!
How to Draw the Target
Imagine a target. The kind with 3 rings. In the middle is a very small red circle. Around it is a slightly thicker white ring... and on the outside is a wide blue ring. Okay?
The "red" circle represents communication streams that definitely reach your target. The white ring in the middle reaches your target audience plus some other people. The big blue one reached lots of people and might include your target audience.
Let's use an example. Let's say you sell sewing patterns or sewing machines. In the red ring would be magazines like SewNews and SewEasy, ezines that go out to sewers, sewing websites, Google adwords specific to sewing, etc.. You KNOW those will reach sewers. Spot on.
In the white ring would be women's magazines and women's sites and ezines, as well as craft magazines, etc. Most sewers are women, so you're going to reach women who sew, as well as women who don't. Some crafters are sewers, and some are not.
In the blue ring are generic things like your local paper, or a poster in the local grocery store. Anything that reaches mass number of people and a few of them might be interested in what you offer.
Is "Inner Circle" Better?
There are pros and cons to each methodology.
Is "inner circle" better because you're guaranteed to reach your target audience?
Not always. For example, a paper like the New York Times or Forbes is definitely a "blue" ring. Totally untargeted. And yet, if your business is mentioned in one - you'll usually see results that NO small, targeted niche publication will ever bring.
Of course, on the other hand, if you're paying for ad space, you might prefer the rates of the middle ring to the rates of the inner or outer rings. You'll usually find the rates go up with "targeting" or "numbers" so the middle ring might offer the best bang for your buck if paying.
Of course, on the other hand (we entrepreneurs have lots of hands lol) paid ads don't get nearly as good a response as editorial content or a review, so it's better to strive for that type of coverage over a paid ad any day of the week.
(Side note; I have never paid for an ad in my LIFE. Coverage is easy to get with a little know how, and when you've done it once, it gets exponentially easier to do each time)
The Flaw in the Theory of Targetting
I have a great (and slightly humorous) article about targeting on my site. An excerpt;
One of the biggest flaws of targeting is that it assumes we all live and shop in a vacuum. Are we all hermits? Do we have no loved ones, family, friends or co-workers who might pass on something we'd like? Or buy it as a gift? Do we never open a flier or email and say "Hey, honey - come look at THIS!"
I think you'll enjoy it. Rather than posting the whole thing, you can find it here;
http://www.lindacaroll.com/most-ads-suck.html
So... there you go. A starting point. Fire away and ask your questions, 'cause I know you have them. lol
: )
Linda
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