Book Excerpt

Understanding Your Target Market

Crafting a financially successful business plan means that you must understand who you’re targeting your Reflexology services to. Understanding the demographics of your area helps and also determines your advertising and marketing locales.

Marketers understand that not every brochure or advertisement will catch everyone’s attention, and online marketing is different because clients find you – not the other way around. But you still need to advertise on online sites that give you the most exposure to the clientele you’re seeking to attract.

The lines between marketing “categories” sometimes blur. For example, you can’t expect every “senior” to be interested in Reflexology treatments and you also can’t expect every teenage to dismiss it.

No longer can you base your targeting on income, ethnicity, education or gender. Personalization is one way to market your services. By letting them know that you are thinking of each perspective client’s lifestyle and what they need as individuals, you’ll speak to their inner being and have much more success.

For example, many marketers in the past have dismissed the baby boomers after age 50. Today, we know they have a strong buying power and influence, and we also know that they’re grasping alternative medicine as an answer to high medical costs and increasing aches and pains as they age.

Gen I and Gen Y generations are savvy about finding services on the computer, and are much more accepting of new technology that promises relief from tension and stress. Mostly, they’re known for thinking outside the box, so these groups of people might be very responsive to your Reflexology advertising and marketing campaigns – especially online marketing.

Gen Xers came after the baby boomer generation and they can be classified as at the peak of their earning power. Born between 1965 and 1975, this generation is tech-savvy and value education and new health techniques. They also like to save money when they can and want to know that the services you’re offering are good values.

Often overlooked in many marketing strategies is The Greatest Generation – born between 1909 and 1945. But this group is living longer that ever and tends to value services such as Reflexology because it can relieve pain and preserve health.

Keep in mind the current state of the economy. When you have a well-defined target market for your services, study how your area has been affected. Some parts of the country have been affected more than others, and you should base your fees partly on that consideration.

Focusing your marketing budget with a message that targets certain areas and people is necessary to make the most of your dollars. Periodically, look over your current customer base. Where are most of your clients coming from and what are are their concerns?

Some other factors to consider when you’re deciding on a target market for Reflexology services are:

• Can they afford your services?
• What drives your target market into decision making?
• Is the area large enough to support your services?

Much valuable information can be found by online research. Other Reflexologists are also great resources – and recent demographic surveys can also be a big help. Remember to make good use of the Internet when deciding who and where your target market is.

Targeting your clientele for a successful marketing campaign can be very useful – but don’t over-think the strategy. In an area such as Reflexology, you’ll have a wider market than you could ever expect, and gather clients from all areas and personality types.

end of sample excerpt….