Focus Your Marketing Firepower for Better Results

I got an email today from Jeff Mayer (SucceedinginBusiness.com) about how important focus is to succeeding with your business. He's right, of course, and I appreciate the reminder.

But his email also reminds me of how important focus is in promoting your local business. The more you focus and concentrate your marketing, the greater impact your message has on your intended market.

First, remember, your goal is to deliver your message as many times to your target market as your budget will allow. You are buying exposure to a certain audience.

Second, the more we are exposed to a message, the more of it we retain. We've all heard the saying, you need to be exposed to an idea eight to 15 times (or more) to remember it. Repetition enhances retention.

And, third, the more channels the message is delivered through, the more believable it is. Diversity delivers credibility.

So, focus and concentrate your advertising by using several media to deliver your message to the same audience. You'll get a better return than if you spend the same amount of money delivering your message fewer times to a larger audience. Lay it on nice and thick rather than spreading it too thin.

In my business I often talk with people who complain their advertising is not worth the money it costs. After some Q&A I usually learn they have bought ads that deliver their message to a large audience one or two times. A typical example might be a direct mail piece that goes to 50,000 households in an area with a 10 mile radius around their business.

For the same money they could buy different media that delivers their message 10 to 15 times to a smaller audience, maybe in a three mile radius.

The smaller market gets more repetition of the message and they see or hear the message from multiple media. It's more likely they remember and believe it.

So, as you plan your local marketing, remember to focus, focus, focus. You'll be glad to did.