US Demographics

https://www.hometownlocator.com/ has the latest updates July 2018.

Plus it has a much easier interface to search valuable data.

For example, if I'm wanting to do a direct mail campaign for a local home improvement co.,
I'd go to State, select highest income and I get the areas that have the highest income.

I would then go to Zillow to check out when homes were built in that area so that
they are ready for mprovements.

Then there is another free tool I will use to check the percentage of home ownership in that zip code/mailing routes.

I'm looking for areas that are in the high 90's
so that postage isn't wasted on those who will never buy.

Once that test is passed I can then use EDDM
to blanket that area.

Best,
Ewen

Once I bumped into a map which can show a demographic level by postal codes. Like, you open the map, enter any code (which you can find here https://worldpostalcode.com/united-s...new-hampshire/) and you see average income and other information about any region. Can anyone share if you know?

That one is interesting if I check my zip code...the population counted university students who are here 3/4 of the year and who have low personal income. Also - numbers appear to include the entire student body...and 40% of students at this university are foreign students.



So - the population of this area appears to be twice what it is and the 'average income' about half what it is. That's a nifty tool but as with all demographics sometimes there's more 'to the story'.

As someone that spends a ton of money on Facebook ads monthly, I can say the tool Facebook offers to select your audience is mind-boggling in terms of what it will tell you. There's not a lot you can't discover.

A lot of people don't utilize Facebook to target their audience because they don't run ads...but it can be used by anyone.

Hopefully, everyone also knows about using Facebook pixel on their sites whether they run ads on Facebook or not.

A lot of times, your idea of your target audience is off...a pixel can give you a load of info on your true audience.

@ewenmack:

Thanks. Interesting.

Do you use Googles new Intent Tool?

Totally agree the cost of ads can be greatly reduced by targeting.

Targeting greatly enhances the sales process...or sales funnel as some call it.

Few understand the term "sales funnel". Named after the thingy that is shaped like the thing used to pour oil into a car.

Here's what most consider the way to sell: A page where you smooze the customer that takes them to a landing page where they buy and wham bam you're successful.

That worked back when, when you could throw just about anything out there and make it sound like it was worth anything...then sit back and rake in the cash...then come out with a book on how to make a million dollars while sitting at your kitchen table in your underwear. Or, how to be a copywriter and make tons of moolah by just writing a letter.

We're not there anymore.

If you're a small time marketer looking to pay your rent, or make a couple extra bucks, the old school funnel system probably will still make you a couple bucks.

In this post, I'm referring to the marketing ideas that work for the movers and shakers in the commercial world. The companies that are growing and dominating their fields.

And by the way...

it's just as easy to think like a big player and reap the benefits as it is to think like a little guy just trying to get off their friend's couch. You can use the same principles and make them work on a smaller level.

As usual, I'm getting long-winded.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is, depending on where you are in your level of marketing...depends on your idea of a sales funnel. Even if you're just starting, think big. Discover what the big guys use and use it...even if you can only implement it on a small scale. You'll grow faster than the guy still stuck in the past.

So anyways, without going on and on, I'll post a couple links that hopefully explain better what I"m trying to say:

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/cons...keting-funnel/

https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog...for-marketers/

https://adage.com/article/digitalnex...l-dead/303301/

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/cons...nsumer-habits/

Those articles are search intent.

The next advancement is purchase intent based on what people
are buying leading up to a purchase.

One credit card company tracks $1 trillion of annual purchases through their US network
and can predict what people are about to buy
based on recent purchases and Big data for accuracy.

What people buy before buying the main thing that can be totally unrelated
in many cases 50% of the time,
therefore no marketing mind would connect the dots using search intent.

For example, men having a big up-spend on haircuts leads to buying an engagement ring.

Or here's a crazy one... the big surge in buying laundry and dry cleaning prior to switching
auto insurance.

BIG data just reports back where the money is being spent leading up to a purchase.

Has no bias or opinion on the subject.

They started out with a few categories and are rolling out more.

They started to make that data available late last year to a
few select advertisers,
I'm one of them.

Best,
Ewen