Don't use a "message in a bottle" approach to marketing

Take a look at this story from USA Today. Did you notice anything? At first glance it’s a sweet, if not incredible story—amazing that the author of a 101 year-old postcard can be identified, and his granddaughter given a link to her ancestor. But, what about the person that post card was meant for? We can be assured that they never got the message. It seems like Mr. Platz would have had better luck reaching his intended target if he’s used an address and postage stamp to direct his message.

This is an important story for fund marketers. If you aren’t using targeted marketing strategies, then your marketing is just like a message in a bottle. The article states it took experts to decipher who wrote that postcard and to get it to someone related to him—not even to the person it was intended for! The message itself is still unknown because it was washed away by water over time. Undirected marketing is just the same. Without a specific message, a target audience, and a tested mode of delivery, your marketing campaigns will only reach their audience by luck.

When your firm is creating a marketing strategy, have enough information before you begin. Who are you sending your message to? What do you want to say to them? And, perhaps most importantly, what response or outcome would you like your message to produce? Using that information you can create specific messages for each of your key audiences, delivering a call to action to their doorstep.