MSI Blog

Gone are the days when "everyone is my audience" even hopes to work in the marketing world. The more targeted your efforts, the more effective they will be. Beyond referring to the medium, venue, or list used along with a broad-audience-specific message, "targeted" now means getting right down to the level of each individual in the audience with your message.

I was on Facebook recently when, on the right column of the page, appeared an ad with the headline: "Men Age 43: Free Gas." It went on to read: "Utah residents: If you're 43 years old and male, you can qualify for $250 in free gas with participation. Time running out."

Imagine that. It's my lucky day! It just happens I'm a 43-year-old, male Utah resident.

While I'm not uninformed enough to think this is just dumb luck, it did catch my attention-something the majority of ads online don't do. Personalizing the message is powerful.

This leads me to think of a good friend who used to be in the financial planning business. He had a tough time getting referrals until he discovered how to ask for them. Instead of asking his clients, "Who do you know who could use some help with their financial planning?" he found success in painting a picture of who he was looking for. When talking to a pilot, for instance, he'd ask, "Who else do you know who loves nothing more than spending his time off flying his own private plane? Someone who wears a bomber jacket and aviator sunglasses like you do? Someone who, like you, would rather spend his time flying than working on his retirement plan?" Do you see the difference?

Whether you're talking to someone face-to-face, sending something in the mail (variable data services are something you should look into if you're not familiar with them), or approaching them online, you have the opportunity to customize your message to each contact. Focus on smaller groups in a niche. Make your message as personalized as possible. You have the opportunity to see positive improvements instantly with this one change in your approach.

Here's to your marketing success!