Remember me?: Maintaining a profile in your target audience

A rule of marketing (which I learned through hard experience was in fact true) is that a prospective customer must be exposed to your message 3 to 5 times before the message is ‘received’. Why? Because they’re bombarded by thousands of other messages, and it takes that many exposures to make an impression. (This rule, by the way, should probably be updated to 6 to 9 times, given the fragmentation of traditional media).

So how does your job site keep its visibility high? First of all, have a clear picture of your target audience. For most sites, there is a large crossover between the employer audience and the job seeker audience. What publications do they read? Blogs? Websites? Where do they buy their services and equipment? How is the pecking order defined? Who are the experts? What are the key trade shows? Seminars? What are the current ‘pain points’ for both employers and job seekers in your niche?

Next, immerse yourself in the market conversation. How? Visit key blogs and websites on a regular basis. Post comments. Email influential contributors and add your thoughts. Write articles for offline and online publications. Participate in key conventions and trade shows.

The keys to maintaining a profile are frequency and relevance. Again, you’re putting messages out to your target audience – which means they must happen on a regular basis, or your effort is wasted. These messages must also speak directly to the audience, in their language. You’re building both awareness and trust. So avoid ‘selling’ – focus instead on asking and answering questions.

Yes, it takes time. Yes, it’s another item on your to-do list. But the payoff is higher visibility – and higher revenue.

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