Finding customers is a challenge. It doesn’t matter if you’re a huge corporation or a mom and pop shop. Getting customers to notice can be hard for businesses of every size. However, smaller businesses tend to feel the struggle a bit more. This is because smaller businesses are typically working with a tighter advertising budget. When every dollar matters, you want to make sure you’re making the most of your advertising money. Thankfully, you can do that with targeted marketing lists.
What are Targeted Lists?
The name itself is pretty self-explanatory. A targeted marketing list is a list of targeted customers used for marketing. But it’s so much more than that. The magic behind a targeted marketing list is in how it is created.
Information is collected and inserted into a database. This specialized database is sortable based on several different factors. For example, if you are a small local business and only want to advertise to people who live within a 2-mile radius, then you can narrow down the list of potential customers to that area. On top of that, if you’re looking to advertise only to parents, the list can then be narrowed to just parents.
By selecting filters that match your target customer profile you can create a lookalike list. This list will have the same qualities as your target customer. This means that it’s much more likely they will be interested in what you have to offer.
Is Targeted Marketing Better than Other Methods?
Choosing a marketing type largely depends on your goal. If your goal is to find loyal customers for as little cost as possible then targeted marketing is for you. However, if you’re simply trying to reach as many people as possible, you may want to consider other methods.
For example, billboards, commercials, and newspaper ads are a good way to put your product, service, or event in front of a large quantity of people. However, they lack the finesse of a targeted advertisement. You may reach 100,000 people with your local television commercial. But the question you have to ask yourself is if the people who are watching are your target customers. You also want to take the cost into consideration. These advertising methods are generally more expensive. You may spend thousands of dollars to reach those people and get very little return.
On the other hand, if you know what type of people are interested in your business, product, service, or event then you have a leg up on your competitors. Like our example above, if you run a local business that appeals to parents within a 2-mile radius of your business then advertising on a wide spectrum probably isn’t the best idea for you. Instead, use your advertising budget to get a list of names, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses for those exact people.
Using Targeted Consumer Marketing Lists for Your Advantage
Once you have your targeted marketing list, it’s up to you to decide how you want to reach these potential customers. Some companies choose to do cold-calls, or telemarketing. Another option is to send an email to the names on the list and try to catch their attention that way. Other companies put together post cards or other mailings to send through the mail to try to catch people’s eye.
Whichever method you choose, you’ll want to make sure you’re communicating in a way that appeals to your target customers. This means understanding what they like and what they are looking for. You also want to put some sort of call to action in your advertisement. It could be a coupon, an invite to an event, a discount code, or anything else you can come up with. The goal is to have them do business with your company.
If you can make your call to action measurable, that’s even better. For example, if you host an event, you can keep track of how many people attend. If you provide a coupon, you can keep track of how many coupons come back to your business. This allows you to see first hand the productivity of your advertising campaign.
Where Can I Get Targeted Lists?
There are a variety of data companies out there selling targeted marketing lists. However, you don’t want to buy a list from the first one you come across. It’s best if you do your research. After all, you want those advertising dollars to go the extra mile for you, right?
The data company you choose to purchase your list from is important. You’ll want to select one that complies with all laws. There are federal and state laws regarding data collection and use. Using a company that follows these laws will protect you and your company. You also want to choose a company that updates their information regularly. The last thing you want to do is spend your advertising budget on an outdated list. Outdated lists have contacts that are not only a waste of money, but they get a negative impression of your business if you’re contacting the wrong people.
A law-abiding company that updates their list regularly is your key to success when it comes to targeted marketing lists. Then you know that each dollar counts as you’re reaching the people you want to reach. This will show in your results as well.
DataMasters is one example of a company that goes above and beyond to produce quality marketing lists. We follow every single law regarding data collection and information sharing. We also scrub our lists regularly to make sure you only get the most current information.
