The first and most important question in Marketing is "Who are you talking to?" followed, almost immediately by "What are you trying to say?" followed quickly by "What emotional response are you trying to achieve. The reason that the Star-Tribune's placement of their JobView kiosk was so silly was that no meaningful targeting was involved.

Without a clear understanding of the audience, the message and the desired impact, Marketing is an incomplete process. We're not saying that plenty of money is wasted on brainstorms that are partially conceived. Rather, at its best, Marketing involves envisioning the target and his or her response. Execution is all about making the vision a reality.

Money is simply no substitute for clear message and solid planning. The tools are widely available on the internet. As a recruiter, the question gets pretty simple:  "Who is reading the job ads or visiting our website?" These questions can be answered quantitatively. They open the door to asking whether or not the current audience is the right audience. That creates the possibility of fixing things.

More often than not, corporate websites are targeted at a vague group of website visitors and, fundamentally, boring. Figuring out how to create an engaging and exciting experience will make the difference in results and effectiveness.

Think about the people you are trying to reach. "What are they like?" "What do they want to hear?" "How do they talk?" Make the website or job ad reach out to the audience. Make them feel strongly, one way or the other. Use the website to produce a significant emotional experience in the visitor.

 -John Sumser

2002 Electronic Recruiting Index

Check out the Table of Contents of the 2002 Electronic Recruiting Index. Call the office today and get a Special Price for interbiznet Readers Only (415-377-2255) or email Colleen Gildea.

---

| Home | ERN | Bugler | The Blogs | Blogroll | Advertise | Archives |

---

Contacting Us:

---

Featured Healthcare Site: MedZilla.com