Identifying Your Market in Your Online Business

As online marketers we are so focused on generating leads and traffic that sometimes we develop tunnel vision. That is not to say that focus isn't important, it is. Not seeing the trees through the forest is a common mistake. Much of what happens in our efforts to generate business is overlooking the ones we can actually help the most.

First, consider your level of expertise, before considering who you're targeting in your marketing. I'm not going to sell Anthony Robbins a course on self improvement, he has reached the pinnacle of that field. However, I may be able to offer him discounted CD distribution, membership in a luxury hotel club for frequent travellers, or the inside scoop on a top company's need for motivational restructuring. These are just examples, of course.

There are plenty of people who want and need what you have if you can identify them. Don't try to hide your level of skill, this will only backfire in the long run. Instead embrace it and specify what your material is, who it is for, and what it can do for that prospect. Trying to cater to "everybody" is pointless. Your own materials may be specifically geared toward beginners, someone who can barely send an email, and that's fine. A top guru will not have the time to give the needed attention to bring a newbie up to speed.

There's a need for training and instruction at many levels that need filling; beginning, intermediate, advanced, and this should be your main concern. Who can benefit from my material? Then plan your marketing strategy accordingly? Marketing to beginners can be very rewarding and lucrative. Too often I see marketers presenting themselves as experts and coaches when their own methods are very basic. There is nothing wrong with not being an expert in all areas of marketing, especially on the internet which is so dependent on the technology itself.

So remember when you are planning your marketing strategy to make clear who the market is and speak to that crowd. I was lured into internet marketing from books and the magazine world. My curiousity was peaked by television and newspaper ads. My drive to succeed was reinforced by listening to the top mentors, but I sought out people more like myself, who had more knowlege than me but were more apt to share their information.

If you take anything from this entry, it would be, not to waste your time trying to sell ice to eskimos. Instead, think in terms of selling water to thirsty desert travellers. You will get much better results and enjoy more success by knowing who your customers are not and especially who they are.