Target audience + targeted message = SUCCESS

Did you know that you can waste a lot of time by doing one thing. Do you know what that thing is?

Not marketing to your target audience.

YES! Many professionals fail to target their audience. When you’re doing marketing and promotion, failure to identify who you are trying to reach will fail to find your customers. When you’ve successfully found your target believe me you’ll know it. Your sales will immediately increase. And it’s not just a matter of targeting the right audience, it involves another key to success:

Target audience + targeted message = SUCCESS.

See, you could find your right target audience, but the message you’re sending might not be the right one. So when you’re doing marketing and promotion, you need to check. First, the obvious barometer of success is sales. Your audience is not responding to your message(s). Don’t be complacent. Sometimes you need to reach for a new message. Just because your audience doesn’t respond to the first message, try another one. Don’t give up. You have to be open and willing to figure out the “marketing puzzle”.

When it comes to book promotion look at what your audience is already reading. If your book is a self-help book, check out the best sellers. A market clearly exists for self-help books, but the topics change from year to year. Sometimes people are focused on mindset other times they’re focused on manifestation. Regardless, find out what people want to know now and then refine your message to reach those people. For example, we’re promoting Habits & Attitudes and Thank God for Layovers by Lance A. Casazza. Each book has a variety of potential topics. The media kit I am writing for those books will be aiming to reach 1) editors and media producers who can present my messages and 2) consumers and readers who are interested in that subject material.

It’s very tricky. Editors and media producers aren’t necessarily interested in my subject matter. So, targeting takes 1) identifying the right media and 2) identifying what that media is looking for and 3) making sure I deliver the right message to attract their interest. The editors and media to some extent have already identified what their respective audiences want to read and see. So, my messages need to be catered to their audiences and demographics.

An effective marketer or publicist knows these areas and understand how to reach the different layers of audience members. It’s a balancing act. You have to be open and willing to sometimes let go of preconceived ideas. You cannot force a message – either it works or it doesn’t work.

One of the biggest challenges is to make your messages work for both the media and the mass consumer market. It’s no easy feat. Sometimes you will hit it right on the spot the very first time you send something to an editor or producer. Other times you will not come close. Just be willing to try new things and don’t lock yourself down to any one concept. Try and try until it works.