Proper, Pleasant And Pursuant Persuasion: The “3p” Targeted Advertising Method For Online Marketers, Advertisers And The Average Tom And Jane Who Need It
If targeted advertising is your goal, then creative persuasion is your aim.
Why Persuasion?
Inherently people like to be persuaders even if sales, marketing and targeted advertising is not their respective trade. In fact, people feel good when they work to achieve the following:
Convince others to agree with them
Convince others to act with them
“3P” Persuasion Leads to Both Personal, Governmental and Financial Security
People don't “rise to persuasion” just because it feels good. People also utilize their persuasion skills to achieve greater security. People who effectively utilize the art of persuasion experience greater personal, governmental and financial security because people who agree and act together on important concepts are unlikely to provoke violence (even war) or participate in unproductive and contentious arguments. Financial security is also achieved via persuasion (not always properly however). Since the economy of trade commenced thousands of years ago, a person's ability to persuade another person of the worth of his or her product, was the ability that allowed him or her to experience greater financial security, or in other words greater material options. More tools, more food, more options for entertainment were the results of an increased trade. Today, our economy is not essentially distinct despite sophisticated stocks, bonds and retirement options. People simply seek greater material options for security and comfort. However, people often forget that persuasion is designed to benefit both parties and is not simply to gain but to give as well.
On that note, a thesis emerges:
Effective persuasion for sales or targeted advertising (this persuasive form will be the focus of this particular article) should be proper, pleasant and pursuant.
Proper Targeted Advertising
The word “proper” according to dictionary.com1 means “adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstances,” which is exactly the type of definition that should be used to describe the proper targeted advertising process. For example, the process should start with a purpose adjusted to circumstances (i.e. adjusted to your audience and their needs). For example, let's say you own an online sporting goods store. Your first step to proper targeted advertising is to find a purpose for your online store. Do you want to help people become more fit? Do you want to encourage an active lifestyle among children and teenagers? Do you want to eventually help others to maintain a better self image both inside and out? If you think in terms of purpose you won't obsess with your bottom line (heaven forbid!). Your bottom line must be watched (and at times adhered to), but it is your purpose that will determine your business's final destination---not your bottom line. So, decide on the purpose of your advertisements and then study the circumstances of those who need and want your services. Do they need to be educated in regards to the products and services that are available to them via your store? Do they need an extra $50/month to afford what you are selling? Could they be motivated to work harder for what your are offering? Talk with qualified customers and those potential customers who could be qualified with a little education. Write up surveys, organize group sessions, talk with people everyday, do secondary online industry research, etc.
Proper targeted advertising may sound like an excess of work but it's actually a very satisfying process and one that actually leads to better results.
Pleasant Targeted Advertising
Once you've done the foundational work for your targeted advertising campaign, it's time to have fun! Pleasant targeted advertising is one way to say to your customers that you enjoy what you do and love how you do it. The word “pleasant” according to dictionary.com2 “pleasing, agreeable, or enjoyable,” nicely sums up the adjectives that can constitute a pleasant targeted advertisement. You can achieve pleasant targeted advertising with the following elements:
Education-- People love to learn. People eat the knowledge they are searching for like kids eat cereal on a Saturday morning. Teach people what you want them to know.
Humor-- Humor is without a doubt a door opener. Humor opens the doors of compromise and in conjunction with education can offer a very pleasant experience.
Opportunity for Application-- If you, through your advertisement, can offer some incentive to apply the products or services that you are offering, people will listen. People want to act!
Opportunity for Service-- If you, through your advertisement, can offer an incentive for service, people will listen. It is my experience, that most people feel great when they are presented with new ways to “give a brother a hand.”
Pursuant Targeted Advertising
After the proper and pleasant stages of targeted advertising that you will find that you will likely achieve most of your sales. However, the pursuant portion of targeted advertising is just as essential as it's antecedent sister phrases. The word “pursuant” according to dictionary.com3 is an adjective and means simply, “proceeding after; following.” You might have already guessed a common corresponding term for this process and you are right: the term is “follow-up”. The follow-up, or the pursuant process, is important. Let's say you agree to support an under privileged children's sporting group if your company achieves a certain amount of sales. It may seem shamefully simple, but once you achieve those sales, you must follow through with your advertisements and promises. It is also essential to thank your customers in some way for their services. You don't have to send thank you cards in the mail (unless you want to). Just sit back and figure out your own “gratitude style” and use it indefinitely. Gratitude—even in the “cold hard” business world pays off, and in more ways than monetary.
Hard Work is Still the Answer
When all is said and done, hard work is still the answer. Try to cut corners if you like but the adage “work smarter, not harder,” never meant that you should stop working hard; it simply means to work hard with an intelligent direction. Keep that in mind for your next targeted advertising campaign.
