Advertising in the right place is just as important as what you have to say in your ads. You probably spend a lot of time finessing your marketing material to convey just the right message, but how much time have you spent analyzing where to broaden the reach of your marketing efforts?
Ask the Right Questions
To find the best space for your marketing message, think about where your customers are:
- What do your customers do for a living?
- What do your customers do for fun?
- What TV shows do your customers watch?
- What radio stations do your customers listen to?
- Do your customers read news in a paper or online?
- What websites do your customers frequently visit?
- What kind of giveaway would your customer remember you by?
In selecting advertising space, it’s important to get your message to the places where your potential customers are likely to be. Ever blasted your marketing out to the world only to receive nothing in return? It’s equivalent to a fisherman randomly going out into the ocean and casting his net without a clue as to whether there are actual catches to be had. Make sure you know where your fish hang out before casting your net.
Think Beyond Normal
Sometimes this requires thinking outside the box.
Traditionally, marketing efforts focus on the same old marketing channels, such as TV, radio, and print. To keep up with modern marketing trends, you have to think beyond what’s worked in the past, and look for new ways to get your message broadcast to the most potential customers.
Hence the internet. It is safe to say that where traditional channels dominated for decades and decades, the age of the internet has taken over. Companies like Apple, Google, Olark, Twitter, and LinkedIn have literally made billions by either being the first to optimize or get in front of the internet craze. Startups have since made millions by approaching the masses online in a new way, like Imgur, who saw a need online, started an app, and proceeded to become a stable in millions of people lives.
All that to say, your target market is online and taking advantage of the internet every single day. Companies have proven that if you can get in front of your market online you can generate viral amounts of traffic for cheap or free. Take advantage of the new markets before they become the old markets.