Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight . . . Online Network Marketers Are you Singing A Goodnight Lullaby?
June 22, 2009 by Alicia Bausley
Filed under Hot Topics
As online network marketers who may be struggling to get your business going I wanted to share an important marketing tip and at the same time, make you smile. So here it goes… I watched this video of these adorable boxer puppies being sung to sleep (and unless you are just completely heartless, this just HAS to move you).
As I watched this video I couldn’t help but think that so many network marketers are doing the exact same thing with their MLM. That is, singing their audience to sleep.
Now you may think your own private song and dance show about your MLM products or company is taking your business and you to celebrity-ville, but in reality are you a bit ‘off tune’? What I mean is, “are you singing for the right audience?”
Here’s a group that DID sing for the right audience (us baby boomers, in particular!):
I’m talking about the right target audience here! The Spaniels didn’t put their audience to sleep! No way, in fact their song reached the U.S. top Pop 30 chart because their audience couldn’t get enough of their singing..
“What’s A Target Audience?“
Target Audience. It’s one of the most misunderstand phrases for new online network marketers. And it’s a shame, because it takes them all the way back to old school methods of network marketing – where we were taught to approach anyone and everyone about our product and our opportunity (at the same time!).
Ouch!
When you ‘sing’ your song to your target audience, you want them to sit up and take notice. You do NOT want to sing them to sleep, where they click off your website or blog, because the ‘song’ isn’t right for them.
Here’s an example:
I could have titled this page, “How to Fix the Fuel Pump on your Car”
What would that one headline have done for you?
Well, quite frankly, my target market is network marketers who need expert help and guidance to build a successful online business. So, that headline certainly would NOT get people to my blog or website. And even if they did stumble upon this site, they wouldn’t stay here, because the message does not interest them (well, a couple of you guys MIGHT like this topic – but don’t count on me to fix your fuel pump!).
You see, you have to determine WHO you want to ‘sing’ to so that you attract the right audience and keep them mesmerized with your ‘voice’.
What tiny little target market might be interested in what you have to teach with your network marketing product?
Yes, I said teach, because successful online marketing is about educating others about a solution for their problems, challenges, or needs.
If your network marketing company sells greeting cards, then you are going to promote a greeting card product. Ask yourself who specifically could be your audience? Well, honestly, I can think of several ‘audiences’ immediately. How do I do that? I think about WHAT that product could do for someone with a particular problem.
Notice, I said product and not opportunity, because that would be an entirely different audience (more on that in another blog post).
Here’s another example.
I need to consider the problem of my target audience. I ask myself, “How could a greeting card help someone?”
Then I write down my ideas:
- It could be a relationship builder – allowing a friendly and warm exchange of communication
- It could be a show of gratitude by thanking a customer for their business and making them feel special
- It could be a referral generating tool, sending a $5 gift card each time a referral comes in prompting them for more referrals
- It could be a customer retention strategy, providing valuable information in a more personal way, to keep a customer base attrition to a minimum
- It could further pre-qualify a lead flow
- It could be a way to communicate with family and friends
- It could be a way to set someone apart from typical direct mail
Now, I have started to generate a list of HOW my product could help, but I want to fine tune it to WHO it can help. I have many choices. So, I start my list again:
- Realtors (a specific target audience)
- Veterinarians
- Tax Accountants
- Dentists
- Small Business Owners (a more general audience)
- Network marketers
- People who love to write (a more general audience)
- Journalists (a more specific audience)
- Mothers
- School teachers
- Dads
Now, I have something to work with here. So let’s say I want to start writing content to my target audience to promote my network marketing product. I’m going to review my list and choose, specifically, veterinarians. Now, all the content that I write about is going to talk just to THEM and teach them how my product can solve their problem!
All the keywords I use in writing my blog or website, would be giving them good quality information that educates them on the use of a greeting card to further their business and increase their bottom line profitability.
I am ‘singing’ to the right audience. But I won’t be putting them to sleep, because they will be interested in I what I have to say, as long as I make sure to keep the information valuable to them and to address their specific wants, needs, desires and challenges.
Remember, your writing must be all about YOUR audience. It must be about them. Or you will put them to sleep, or they will click off your website, blog or article.
So, one more time, let’s sing in unison, Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight!
Warm regards,
Alicia Bausley
Alicia, the intro of your blog certainly caught my attention and made me smile!
As you know I just recently came onboard, and all the new terminology has my head swimming at times, however this article gave me a clear understanding of “What’s a Target Audience”. One would think it to be self explanatory, however, to my surprise I have been groping with it as it relates to me developing my business within The Renegade System. ‘I love it!’
Bonnie
Hi Bonnie,
Well, it made me smile, when I first watched the video. I enjoyed it so much, I thought I would share with the rest of my friends.
I spent the entire afternoon writing a book chapter totally focusing on a target audience and why it’s so important (you’ll be getting more information on this soon in our EBE Mentorship Program).
Thanks for the comments!
Warm regards,
Alicia
Yes, this caught my attention as well. I may be in a situation where I would be putting the cart before the horse. The place I was hoping to get an affiliate link(the same place I buy my wheatgrass seeds)to send my target audience the company wants you to have a website before they will let you link to it. Well, back to the drawing board. Which brings Ann’s personal letter to mind that she sent out about the darby’s..the gold excavater in her story. Failure is only a process of learning how to do it better the next time.
Tom
Dear Tom,
Well, the timing is perfect! Because we are introducing a brand new live training Webinar to explain whether or not you want to create a website or a blog. And yes, Tom! It’s time to put the horse before the cart! Take a look at our newest post on our EBE blog, where you will be able to register for the Webinar: http://blog.empoweredbusinessentrepreneurs.com/2009/06/23/site-build-it-gives-our-business-a-stellar-alexa-ranking/
Cheers!
Alicia
Alicia!
Your timing is impeccable. LOL!..I’m starting feel Lost in Cyberspace!
“Houston, we see the earth”
I’m ready to sign up now.
Thank you,
Tom
Well Alicia, you already know what I thought of the video
What can I say …but super WOW on what you did with it !
Go girl… and tada, goodnight sweetheart (it is almost 10 p.m.)
p.s. I’m so glad I just “happened” to be called by you a couple of years ago,
YOU have never put me to sleep! Betty
Excellent videos- and I read the rest while listening to The Spaniels.
I’ve been searching for this post (your def. of target audience and what it means for me and my website) for over a year!!! Yay, I think I’ve got it!
Hi Betty!
Thanks for the boxer puppy video! And I’m also glad that I called you. You’ve been a sweet reminder of the joy of making friendships as a result of the Internet. Thank you again!
Sending love,
Alicia
Hello Christina,
Just so you are not alone – know that a lot of people struggle with understanding “target market.” It’s absolutely necessary before you write your first article or create a YouTube or produce an audio to know who you are trying to communicate to. Segmenting that small group from the rest of the population is necessary to make sure you are using your time and money efficiently (time IS money).
Thanks for posting on our EBEblog.com. It’s nice to have you here!
Warm regards,
Alicia
Hi Alicia,
I have watched this adorable video several times. It really hits home. We just got an English Shepherd puppy and her name is Contessa, Tess for short! She is having a hard time sleeping through the night! So we might try singing “Good Night Sweetheart, Good Night” to her.
Also, I am writing content to my target market and this lesson you shared helps me to keep focused. I need to zero in and hit the ‘target mark-et’!:-)
Thanks for being so creative and entertaining! It helps lighten things up as I am continuing to process my learning curve of ‘attraction network marketing’!
I am so grateful to be on your team!
With much apprection,
Dee
Hi Alicia,
Just wanted to tell you how I loved these videos. Adorable! I loved them so much that I uploaded them to my facebook page. I put a link back to your blog! Thanks for being so creative and entertaining!
Dee
Hi Alicia,
I am finishing the Writing with Pull course and your post is a great summary of the process that we need to apply as we begin to create content and market to our target/niche. In you post, you indicate this is “singing”. I read somewhere that it’s also a way of “calling out a specific person’s name.”
Thank you for sharing this useful information.
Crystal (from Chicago)
I am enjoying the writing with pull class, thanks Alicia for encouraging me to sign up, my “bonus” …I loved hearing your cheery voice on my answering machine! You have certainly been such an encouragement in many ways,how can I count them? I am blessed. Now hug “dem” puppies and now it is your turn to kiss your cayuses
mine all loved their’s.
Hi Dee,
Glad to hear you liked the videos. I’m a ‘sap’ when it comes to any animal. So much so, that I remember a few years ago, there was a rat in our backyard. I had my husband go out to get rid of it. When I looked through the window, I saw he had a shovel and had it zeroed in on the poor little guy. I pounded on the window (I was staying inside for ‘safety!’) and said NO!!! Just ‘get rid of him’ (in other words, “Escort him out the back gate, please”). My husband still teases me about this. So the rat was saved and chased back out the gate. I promise, no rat videos though!
Cheers,
Alicia