I've never been much for hunting, but I do like target shooting. A friend of mine taught me to "aim small, miss small." In other words, aim for the whole beer can and you might miss it entirely. Aim for the hole in the "g" on the label and, even if you miss the letter, you'll still hit the can.
"Aim small, miss small" also applies to B2B direct marketing.
Most direct marketers play the numbers game and send their generic message to anyone they think might have even the remotest interest in the message. Then they're surprised when unqualified responses trickle in.
If you "aim small" and develop a small, but highly targeted list, a highly relevant message and drive them to equally relevant content, response rates will drastically increase.
I know what you're thinking: small list = few responses (even with a high response rate)—and you're right. The key is your targeted message can only "miss small." You can't get too far off-base if you're speaking to a very select group of prospects the way you can when you're speaking to an entire demographic.
"Aim small, miss small" is the motto of evolved direct marketers who demand the highest quality responses at a price that will generate a positive ROIm. It also spells trouble for beer cans.
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Monday, August 23, 2010
Aim Small, Miss Small
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Totally agree, effective marketing starts with quality (high conversion rates) and then leads to quantity (increased frequency of campaigns).
ReplyDeletePerfect marketing would be a personalized one to one message for each person. That not yet being possible, your aim small, miss small approach is the next best thing. The more you can personalize the message, the more effective it becomes.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on being named a top B2B marketing blog. That’s quite an honor. I’m pleased to share the news that Fearless Competitor was also named to that great list. It’s nice to meet you.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
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http://www.findnewcustomers.com
We're closer to 1:1 marketing than you might think.
ReplyDeleteBusinesses have been gathering far more data than they need for years. The technology exists to develop action/response campaigns which will leaverage all that data and bring us much closer to 1:1 than anyone thinks is possible today.
Stay tuned. We'll keep you up-to-date with the latest B2B marketing best practices.
As far as being named a "Top B2B marketing blog," it's entirely possible you know something I don't...