In its broadest sense, marketing means designing programs to persuade people to take a desired action, whether it is enrolling in a cost share program, planting more trees, or getting a management plan.  Much of the outreach you do on a daily basis is, in fact, marketing.

Targeted marketing means designing communications to bring about a specific behavior change in a selected group of people. Otherwise put, targeted marketing differs from a broad-brush approach in that it seeks to reach small groups of people with messages that are most likely to appeal to the people in each group based on an understanding of that group’s values, preferences, and other characteristics.  

The basic principles of this approach are:

1. Be clear about what you want people to do after they hear or read your message. We emphasize do because it is always more effective to design materials with clear action outcomes in mind. Yes, you want to educate or inform your audiences, but you also need them to take action if your program is to be a success.
2. Design your materials to appeal to a specific type of landowner. Different types of landowners are persuaded by different arguments and incentives. It therefore makes sense to design materials for specific groups that share similar values and will be persuaded by the same messages.
3. Make sure that your audience is exposed to your message several times and in the right contexts. Do you remember all the advertisements you saw on TV last night or all the billboards that lined your route to work? Neither do the people you want to reach! You have to work hard to get people’s attention. And most people need to see or hear (preferably both!) a message several times before they decide to act on it.
4. Listen to your target audience. Good communication, like good conversation, is a two-way exchange. Get audience input before designing your program, then seek feedback both during and after you implement the program.