Have you ever considered why the best fishing guides can always put you on a school of fish? Despite seeing their process in action, you can’t replicate their results. This is in large part because they know exactly where the fish will be and how they will react based on specific conditions. In many ways, digital marketing works the same way.
Most businesses have a clear understanding of who their targeted advertising should be aimed at, but few have a clear understanding of how, and more importantly when, customers will make buying decisions. When marketers only have half of the picture, they cannot effectively place ads that reel in responses.
The result can be as frustrating as a day on the water that only results in a head-to-toe sunburn.
When in doubt, the team at Your Business Marketer can help you build a well-rounded marketing strategy that produces. Contact us to learn more and keep reading for expert tips on finding your audience and delivering content that performs.
Audience and Timing
For the sake of time, and your sanity, we will strictly keep a high-level perspective with nuggets of information that you can implement fast. Marketing without proper timing is like throwing darts blindfolded. Sure, you might have a general direction in mind, but you are just as likely to hit your buddy as you are the bullseye.
Here are two things to consider regarding building your audience and structuring the timing of your ads.
1. The Who (Not the Band)
Let’s talk about buyer personas. It’s a marketing thing and defining them works.
Deny it all you like, marketing is the introverted and slightly more sophisticated sibling of old-school sales. Less boisterous, yet just as dedicated to getting customers in the door. Understanding the habits and how buyers behave is paramount. You predict this by crafting a general profile, or persona, of your ideal customer. Name it, dress it, give it an average income and level of education, and you’ve got a marketing tool.
Personas don’t have to be formed blind. You should use what you already know about your business to craft this ideal individual.
Let’s take Snap-On Tools as a case study. Knowing nothing else about them, you know that they sell tools. Because of this, a core demographic is likely middle-aged men that are DIYers. Targeting these weekend warriors on a Monday will not have the impact as the same ad on a Friday or Saturday. Knowing that they will be diving into a new project each weekend will help you schedule your marketing campaigns accordingly.
On the flip side, Snap-On is also approaching mechanics for a large portion of their revenue. Knowing that mechanics are more likely to purchase new tools on or around payday means you can sync your marketing to get products in front of them at the exact time they are most likely to buy. That’s the power of personas. Of course, we talked a lot there about days of the week, so let’s expand on that.
2. Strike While It’s Hot
(The iron, that is.)
Depending on your product, you might have the luxury of year-round purchasing, but most businesses see their sales follow a seasonal pattern. Knowing and understanding when these peak times of purchase are approaching, or have passed, will help you maximize the moments you can actually get a return on ad spend.
For instance, manufacturers of baseball equipment know that they will see max purchases in the spring, right before the season kicks off. Whether they are approaching schools that need new equipment or parents for “select” teams, timing this as training commences will help drive traffic to a website and increase revenue.
Are there going to be purchasers throughout the year? Absolutely. The key is to strategically devote ad dollars to when they will create the greatest ROAS (Return On Ad Spend). After all, parents who are relieved to see a busy season come to an end aren’t thinking about spending another $300 on the latest bat. Timing is everything.
Professional Digital Marketing Services
There is a science to the marketing strategy that centers around people. Defining your audience and setting a watch for content delivery are just the tip of the iceberg. If you are struggling with getting a firm grasp on who you should be targeting, and when it is best to approach them, the best move is to work with a professional marketing agency.
The team at Your Business Marketer has built a reputation on transparency and expertise to help you make every ad dollar count. With years of experience, we know what it takes to get prospects to go from browsing to buying.