by Ron Knowlton
I have a friend who recently asked for help in marketing a booklet on how to varnish a boat.
Varnishing a boat is a difficult task that can be particularly frustrating for boat owners if it is not done properly. It is also a subject that would only be of interest to a small niche group of people.
In advising my friend, I could have approached this several ways.
One way (which I resisted) was to send a sales letter to the subscribers of my ezine. Not a wise move!
Why? Because I would have missed the target entirely. Few of my ezine subscribers are likely to be interested in varnishing a boat (I may be wrong about this, but I doubt it).
The common interest that caused my ezine subscribers to subscribe to my ezine is an interest in internet marketing and promoting products, producing sales, etc.
While there may be some boating enthusiasts among my readers, there really is no way to know without polling them first.
So, without any knowledge to the contrary, I must assume that boating is far from their minds - for the most part.
So where do you go to hit the bullseye? The bullseye, of course, being where the most sales will be made.
First - think about who is likely to purchase this book.
Boat owners, obviously (or those contemplating owning boats). Also, those who are \"do-it-yourselfers\" - who would prefer to perform maintenance and care of their boats, for the most part, by themselves.
Where do they hang out? What publications do they read? What services do they use?
On the internet, it would be smart to find web sites dealing with do-it-yourself topics as well as boats, boating, and outdoor sports.
So I can enter keywords in a search engine relating to these topics - and begin my search.
I may also want to enter the keywords such as \"varnishing boats\" or \"boat maintenance\" - as well, to see who my competitors are and to find out what they're doing and also to help me find sites where I could advertise.
Then by visiting the various web sites discovered in my search, I can find a list of web sites and available ezines where I can advertise (places where boat owners and potential boat owners and \"do-it-yourselfers\" are likely to hang out).
The advantages to doing this should be obvious by now. If you decide to go fishing, you will want to fish where there are many fish. Don't go fishing in a lake where there are few (if any) fish! Your chances for success decrease dramatically (where there are few fish)!
If you want to sell to boat owners, go where there are many boat owners!
That way you can be assured of greater success! Then you will hit \"the bullseye\" more often (increased sales)! And after all, that's what you want!
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Ron Knowlton is a former journalist and the founding editor at <http://www.soaringprofits.com/> \"Articles To Boost Your Success Online!\" Subscribe to the Soaring Profits Success Ezine! Like a free monthly internet marketing course by email! Eight great lessons each month! Subscribe: http://www.soaringprofits.com/spsubscribe.htm !
