It’s time to make target marketing more personal. Marketing is not only about knowing who your target market is, it’s about knowing how they behave, and giving them what they want based on that behavior.
In marketing and public relations, we focus on getting the right message, to the right person, at the right time, but are we personalizing that message enough? Just because someone in our target market fits into a type or category, doesn’t mean our marketing is going to be successful.
The good news is, technology allows us to reach a level of personalization that will make our marketing efforts more successful.
A few weeks ago, The New York Times ran an article about the success Netflix. The company has seen immense growth this year and part of that has to do with their personalized marketing.
Did you know that 75 percent of the hours streamed on Netflix stem from the algorithms that suggest specific shows and movies based on the subscribers past viewing patterns? NetFlix is doing personalization right.
In fact, that personalized approach is not only keeping their business afloat, it has more than doubled their stock prices this year. NetFlix knows that they can’t just provide access to all the content that viewers want, they have to sort that content for the viewer, place it in front of them, and the viewer will respond.
If your business is web-based, consider setting up a system where you offer product suggestions based off past viewing or buying. This type of marketing is almost expected by Internet users today. When I log in to Amazon they (whoever they are!) know I have been searching for camping and climbing gear, so I get loads of suggestions at the bottom of my screen for products similar to the products I’ve already searched for myself. Let me tell you, I have purchased way more gear than I ever intended, but I’ve also found some great deals, so it’s a win-win.
Perhaps your business doesn’t engage in algorithmic based target marketing solutions, but you can still collect data from your clients and cater content to them, or targets in the same industry. This can happen through customer surveys, or tracking your ordering to see who is ordering what type of product and service.
Perhaps you make most of your sales in person, or over the phone. Before you meet with a potential or current client know enough about their ordering history, or their background to point out their past behavior, and then proceed to offer similar services and valuable solutions.
In the end, you may have to build a relationship to get that personal information. Regardless, it’s the small details that could be your ticket to successful marketing.
If you’re looking for marketing solutions for your business, we’d love to help. Contact us here.
