Guest Author - Dennis Regling

I am about to share one of the biggest secrets to marketing success with you. Whether you are a performer booking shows, or selling school supplies. The secret of target marketing. To be successful at anything, you must know what you are shooting at.

The more specific you are about where your marketing resources are spent, the better return and more success you will have. Nothing is worse than sending the wrong message to the wrong group of prospects at the wrong time.

Your marketing efforts must take into account who you are selling to, what you are selling to them and when they will need it and how to best reach them..

The who means knowing who your prospect or target is. If you do birthday shows, your target would be parents of young children. To narrow it down more, you probably want affluent and/or middle income families.

To reach these homes, you might want to use yellow pages, birthday clubs at restaurants and souvenirs you give the children who attend other parties and events.

For the corporate market, you should forgo the yellow pages and advertise in trade journals and by direct mail. Put the message where it will be seen.

Each of your offers should be specific to a product (show) you are selling. A marketing campaign where the same materials are sent to everyone, stating you are available for tradeshows, birthday parties, weddings and comedy clubs will work against you. Each of these markets should be attacked separately with market-specific tools.

One aspect of marketing that is often overlooked is the when. When to advertise and promote. As I write this, it is September. I am marketing school shows and school fundraisers now. Schools are generally booking their programs in May or September, so that is when I want to put my materials in their hands.

I am also promoting a Christmas show fundraiser. In January, I will start contacting fairs and festivals. I will repeat that offer in March or April. These events generally are looking for talent for their events prior to summer.

Your best clients should receive a little something from you every couple months, to keep your name in front of them, but target your advertising to times when it is most appropriate and of interest to your prospect.

In summary, you should:
a) Send the right information to the right prospects
b) Keep your materials market specific
c) Send your material at the right time of the year
d) keep in touch with past clients on a continuous basis.

Also, be sure to read:
How to Use Free Special Reports to Fill Your Calendar