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What Makes People Click?
Jim Sterne: Targeting!
Seth Godin, chief marketer at Yahoo, said about Jim Sterne:
"... he is one of the clearest thinkers around.
He understands the ins and outs of Internet
marketing. Buy his books and listen up!"
Jim Sterne is also a highly sought after speaker and consultant.
I was lucky to meet him in LA at Internet
Marketing Summit - it was fun to sit with him at the same table but it was his
presentation that really got me. Simply brilliant! I confess,
as a speaker I secretly aspire to be as good ... so, it was
a true pleasure to meet him again during the MasterMind Chat.
Wanda Loskot:
Jim, you are on the internet since the very dawn (so it
seems to me) -- what is the biggest change you see happened
or happening that will impact small business owners?
Jim Sterne:
The biggest impact on small businesses? Let's see... I'd
say the biggest impact the Internet has had on small business
is productivity -- and for that I look at two things in
particular...
First - the Web lets you put your message up at an incredibly
higher discount than magazine ads or mailing brochures. Second,
e-mail has changed how we communicate. I run a world-wide
consulting practice and public speaking business -- by myself.
Wanda Loskot:
The title of one of your books is "What makes people click?".
Is there something that made people click before, but now
leaves them cold?
Jim Sterne:
Animations! Things that jiggle, move, bounce and make noise
used to get everybody's attention - now we're all *very* tired
of being distracted.
Wanda Loskot:
What about banners, do people still click on them?
Jim Sterne:
People do - just not as much as they used to. We used to see
2% clickthroughs and now it's more like 0.25% Banners still
have value - just not as much as we thought at first.
Wanda Loskot:
That means 400 banner impressions generate just one click! Small
fraction of what it used to be! Which banners are most effective?
Jim Sterne:
It depends... If you want to sell, if you want to get people to
come to a chat session... if you want people to donate their
time --- different banners are effective for different purposes.
But the ones that are the best follow the same rules as offline
advertising - put the right message in front of the right person
at the right time.
Wanda Loskot:
Which means targeting - right?
Jim Sterne:
Yes, Wanda. Targeting. It starts by putting your banner ad
on the site that is most likely to attract the kind of people
who should be interested in your offer.
Wanda Loskot:
What is the best strategy to market a product or service that
is also sold by the "big guys
Jim Sterne:
The best way to sell against the big guys it to narrow your
niche. Remember - you're talking to somebody who named his
company "Target Marketing".
If you can find a narrow place to play, the Internet gives
you the ability to get the word out to a lot of people.
Wanda Loskot:
What are the biggest mistakes people make when selecting
a target market?
Jim Sterne:
The biggest mistake is going after too large a segment.
Targeting is really simple. Figure out what group of people
would have a special interest in your product, or how you
can make it more appealing to a smaller segment of the
marketplace. Then you can be the biggest fish in the smaller
pond.
Wanda Loskot:
Do you have a formula for successful targeting? What is the
best way to get started?
Jim Sterne:
How about looking over your list of past customers and seeing
what they have in common regarding profession. You may have
more dentists than anything else... or - I don't know -
accountants! If so, you could send out a direct mail notice
to every dentist in the state... or to every accountant.
See what I mean?
If you focus on a specific target, you can create one small
brochure that tells all about how you understand the needs
of dentists or accountants. Once you get two or three under
your belt, you can go speak at an accounting luncheon and
spread your expertise.
Wanda Loskot:
Someone with a strictly online business might ask how to go
about actually getting to those dentists and accountants...
Jim Sterne:
Offline - dentists, or whatever market niche you like, can
be most easily fond through direct mail. A simple postcard
mailed once a month can be very effective.
Online? Start posting articles for free to dental Web sites.
Offer up yourself as a content expert and add a little blurb
at the end of every article about the services you offer.
Wanda Loskot:
So, the idea is to create a niche and exploit it?
Jim Sterne:
Right. It doesn't need to be a big, giant niche just waiting
for somebody to come in and clean up. It could be an unloved
niche that would thrive given a little attention.
The secret of a niche, is that the more time you spend there,
the more of an expert you become.
Wanda Loskot:
What do you answer if someone asks what is your special niche?
Jim Sterne:
My pre-Internet special niche was technology marketing -
specifically software marketing. More exactly - software
development tools. Today I describe myself as a specialist in
online communications between companies and their customers.
I started doing Internet marketing in 1994 when people thought
it was too small an area to worry about. And now look at me --
you think I'm an expert! I've MADE it!!!
Wanda Loskot:
Thank you so much for visiting and for sharing your wisdom!
For those who would like to get more of your juicy advice,
where can they find you?
Jim Sterne:
Well - you can pick my brain in chat sessions like this, you
can go to my Web site targeting.com and read some of my
articles. You could buy my books :-) Or - he said cautiously
- you can send me an e-mail every now and then and see how
long it takes me to answer...
I really encourage you to get Jim's books -- they are packed
with juicy information, how-to advice and examples. No fluff.
So, the only thing I can say is repeat after Godin: buy them!
Are you ready now for the next part of my Summit report?
Click here to read more about the Internet Summit
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Wanda Loskot - Success Connection
150 Heron's Run, Suite #124 - Sarasota, FL 34232 - USA
Phone (941) 342-4203 - Fax (240) 358-7445
Professional business coach, author & speaker specializing in Internet marketing.
Business seminars, corporate training and one-on-one coaching
for self-employed sales professionals and small business owners.
wanda@loska.com
All materials Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000 Wanda Loskot
and Success Connection.
All Rights Reserved. Do not reprint, or distribute without
express written permission.
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