Target Marketing and Promotion Works ... Misdirect or Miss and It Doesn't!

This discussion takes place I would say about twice a year -- target marketing. I am forever on the receiving end of a mass marketing campaign that is so off-target, I wonder if the marketing executive even understands what he or she is doing. The biggest offenders typically come from those who put little or not effort into their mailings lists or who they are doing outreach to.

So, let's start with today's offense. If you are my "friend" on social media (Facebook) chances are you connected with me and not the other way around. I don't do much "friending" because I really don't need to do it. People come to me, and I have about 3,500 connections, which is plenty. This morning I have a message from a guy who asks two of the offending "mis-target" questions. Here they are:

1. Do you blog?
2. Do you want to learn how?

Let's start with the basic breakdown. First, this person didn't look at my profile at all. The biggest and probably most glaring answer to his first question was right there on my blog. Aside from let's ignore that I'm a publisher and writer, and it's very likely under those titles I would blog. BUT I'll give the guy some leeway except ... two different blogs are connected to my profile. All right, so do you blog? The answer to that question was so obviously "yes" and the answer was so obviously "no" to "did you do your homework?" And had he done his homework, the second question would have been moot.

Let's also add insult to annoyance in that this guy "messaged" me. He did take the time to actually write directly to me. At the point where he sent a real message he should have vested his time more wisely. Had he researched his "target" more precisely, he wouldn't have wasted his time with the message.

Target marketing accomplishes two important things:

1. It aims your message at the proper target (a real, qualified prospect).
2. A qualified prospect is far more likely to get you your end result -- the sale.

Failing to target your marketing does two important things:

1. It annoys your audience when your message is so misdirected it becomes actually offensive. Asking a professional publisher with several blogs she runs the ridiculous question, "Do you blog?" left me thinking, "Do you breathe?" Of course, I blog. Oh, yes and I do breathe, too.

2. It (plain and simply) wastes your valuable time.