Regardless of the medium you use for marketing, whether it be direct-mail, telemarketing, email marketing, etc.…WHO YOU TARGET IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU SEND.
Generally speaking, there are three basic parts to a marketing campaign:
1. Who you are trying to acquire as a customer (targeted prospects)
2. What you are sending (creative execution/offer)
3. Follow-up (CRM)
Without question, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS #1, TARGETING PROSPECTS.
This might sound like common sense, but business owners commonly make the mistake of spending a lopsided amount of time trying to develop and create the catchiest, snazziest, or flashiest marketing piece possible. They think for sure it will captivate and convert the recipients into new business. However, they do this with the assumption that all/most of the recipients are their “ideal” prospects. By contrast, the data or “list” they typically use for the marketing campaign is often a rushed afterthought, with high percentages of the wrong recipients. When this happens, essentially you are trying to sell something to someone that doesn’t want or need your products/service. Even worse, it’s a colossal waste of money!
Don’t waste your time and money trying to reach people that don’t need/want your products/services.
It pays to invest in good quality and targeted data. A fresh, clean, and updated list that targets the appropriate customers/prospects is the key to successful campaign. The right data at the start of any campaign will save you time, money, and to ensure you are targeting the right named prospects/customers.
To effectively target the data list, you will need a clearly understanding of who and where are your ideal customers. Dedicate some time to identifying your ideal customers/prospects that will actually have a want/need for the products/services you offer. A specific list will yield more results than a randomly compiled one.
Once your data list is properly targeted, then spend an equal amount of time on what “offer” you are sending, and the creative execution. Continuous follow-up (CRM) will yield the most from your original marketing investment on each campaign.