Make Targeting the One New Year’s Resolution You Stick To

If you wait for the right circumstances to start targeting, you’ll never do it.  Marketers often lean more toward perfection than trial and error.  It’s human nature after all.  Let’s review the top excuses (I mean reasons) why marketers aren’t targeting today:

1. Resource constraints – Most organizations feel they are understaffed to execute an effective targeting program. 
2. Inexperienced – Some marketers lack experience and confidence in targeting.
3. Complexity – With so much to consider and address in a targeting strategy, marketers don’t even know where to begin.
4. Inadequate tools – Marketers don’t have tools to make their targeting efficient and effective.
5. I’m sure you can think of more!

Resource Constrained
Just about every marketer today feels that they have more work than they can possibly handle.  Let’s face it…that’s not going to change anytime soon.  So focus on what you can do.  You may question what one person can accomplish in terms of targeting.  I’m here to tell you that many of the organizations we work with only have one person working on targeting activities.  In some cases, that this their primary job and in other cases, its just one of many responsibilities.  Take heart – one person can conduct effective targeting and that is you!

Gain Experience by Doing
Anything can be hard for people who lack experience, direction, and/or patience.  For instance, folding laundry isn’t hard for me but my 8 year old thinks its impossible.  He lacks the experience and patience to make it happen.  Targeting isn’t much different.  If you lack experience or need some guidance and motivation, stop and take notice.  Look at the targeted offers you receive daily and note what works and doesn’t work for you.  Reach out to other marketers for advice.  Leverage your network.  Read, read, and read some more.   Then get started.  You’ll learn more from doing it yourself than watching someone else.

Targeting is Easy…We Just Think Its Hard
I think many marketers build up this notion of targeting in their head into something larger than it needs to be.  You don’t need a complex strategy to get started.  In fact, I’d suggest waiting to build a strategy until you’ve done a bit of targeting and learn from it.  Instead, start with a plan and goals.  Define who you want to target, what you want them to do, and how you’ll measure it.  Pick one targeting campaign.  Start small and build up over time.  Do a mix of one-time campaigns and recurring campaigns. Start experimenting.

Most of this post contains advice that falls into the ‘no shit’ category.  You probably already know most of this info but you don’t put it into practice every day.  Why is that?  Probably the same reasons we don’t keep our new year’s resolutions each year.  We get busy, we lose focus, or something else more important comes along.  I challenge you to make targeting part of your everyday marketing…not something on your perpetual to do list that never gets started.

In my next post, I’ll share with you what targeting tools Webtrends has to offer.  Happy targeting!