by Nigel Hilton
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In marketing, there are lots of ways you could accidentally waste money. Although you can benefit from getting things wrong, learning some good lessons for the future, it's much better if you can avoid having to learn some expensive lessons. One of the things that you can get wrong is failing to target the right audience. The world wide web is huge, which is beneficial but can also have its drawbacks. You don't want to market your business to everyone in the world or even everyone in the country because it won't be effective and you'll be wasting money. So you need to make sure you're targeting the right audience.
Do Your Research
Don't market your business to anyone without first doing some research to determine who you should be marketing to. You might think that you know who your audience is or who you intend your audience to be, but have you got it right? Doing plenty of research to find your target market will ensure you're not making a big mistake and targeting completely the wrong people. When you've done proper market research, you'll know both who your audience is and what they want from your products or services.
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Use the Right Marketing Methods
Choosing the right marketing methods and channels will help you to ensure you're getting your message out to the right people. If you're advertising a local business, you might be more inclined to use direct mail marketing, whereas if you're promoting your online store, you might use PPC advertising. If you want to use social media to market your brand, you should be sure that you're using the right social platforms. For example, LinkedIn is better for businesses and professionals, whereas Instagram is a visual platform ideal for lifestyle brands. If you pick the wrong methods and platforms, it could be a waste of time and money.
Make Use of Targeting Tools
Various tools are available to help you target the right audience, especially if you're advertising your business online. When you're working on SEO for your website or setting up PPC ads, you can use tools to determine who your audience is and make sure that they are the ones who see your adverts and other marketing materials. You can target your audience in a broad range of ways, from where they are and what devices they use to their interests and their age.
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Get Your Customers to Refer You
When you want to expand your audience, and perhaps even find a new audience, encouraging your existing customers to refer you can be a good way to do it. When they recommend you to their friends, family, and other people they know, you can reach a wider audience and you know that your brand will be promoted to the right people. You can encourage customers to recommend your products or services with a referral program or with other incentives, such as discounts and special offers.
If you want to avoid marketing to the wrong audience, don't rush into implementing a marketing campaign. Do plenty of research first.