Which is more important when marketing -- your message or your audience?

Which is more important when marketing -- your message or your audience?

by Tom Trush

If you had to pick between delivering a powerful marketing message to a large audience of people or selecting a small group of prospects to receive a poor marketing message, which would you choose?

My answer might surprise you...

I'll take the small group of prospects and poor marketing message almost every time.

After all, when put in front of the wrong audience, even the most persuasive marketing messages get ignored. Of course, this fact goes against advice you often hear from sales trainers.

Many say you should play the "numbers game." Get in front of more people and you'll get more sales.

Sure, there's some truth to this claim. But marketing to people who haven't expressed interest in what you offer drains resources.

Remember, you can't create desire where none exists -- you can only deepen a desire that's already present. Trying to convince people they need your product/service will only leave you frustrated and your wallet thinner.

Buying an ad in your local newspaper or magazine because you want your message in front of thousands of eyeballs doesn't guarantee marketing success.

Neither does posting a banner on a highly trafficked website ... mailing to large lists of nearby homes or businesses ... growing a huge following on social media ... securing a full-page spread in the Yellow Pages .. or even buying a commercial spot during the Super Bowl.

The list could go on.

Before you roll out a major campaign, make sure the marketing medium you use reaches an audience that already expressed desire for your offer. You'll be in even better shape if those same people already purchased a similar product/service.

Let me explain ...

Imagine you're a Chicago ticket broker with access to seats for pretty much any sporting event.

This season happens to be the year my beloved Chicago Cubs break the curse and play in the World Series. We've now reached Game 7 and my loveable losers are hosting the final game at Wrigley Field.

As a life-long Cubs fan, I try every trick possible to get two tickets to the game -- but I'm unsuccessful. However, I decide to fly to Chicago, show up at the ballpark and take my chances at snagging a pair of seats.

You (being the smart marketer you are) realize many fans share my situation. So you also show up at Wrigley Field to sell tickets.

Within seconds of stepping out your car, you see me holding a flimsy cardboard sign expressing my desire to get inside the ballpark. So you walk over and show me two tickets.

Do you think a powerful marketing message is necessary to persuade me to buy your seats?

No way!

Even if you don't mutter a word, will I still want your tickets?

Of course!

Now imagine you have those same Cubs tickets, but this time you show up 1,751 miles away at Sun Devil Stadium. The Arizona State Sun Devils are hosting the University of Arizona Wildcats, arguably the biggest football game of the year in Arizona.

Nearly 74,000 people are expected. So you set up outside the stadium entrance and begin promoting your Cubs tickets.

Even though hoards of sports fans are expected to file past you, is it likely you'll get buyers?

Probably not.

But what if you have an incredibly persuasive marketing message? After all, Sun Devil Stadium's capacity is nearly twice that of Wrigley Field. So you can reach about 33,000 more fans, many who probably enjoy baseball, too.

Obviously, even with the larger audience, the likelihood of a sale is slim.

Make sense?

---

FREE LAWYER MARKETING ALERT: If you'd like to receive Trey Ryder's weekly Lawyer Marketing Alert, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Write "Subscribe LMA" in the subject line and write your name and e-mail address in the body of the message.