| It's one thing to open your web site to just any visitor on the internet or to send out an email promotion to any email address you happen to have. But it's another thing altogether to be able to have just the right visitors see your site or just the right recipients open your email. The difference? The difference is in the results. When you target, your marketing results improve. Always. Yes, always. Costs go down and responses go up. What else could you want?
But how do you target an anonymous website visitor? It's easier than you might think. The first way to get targeted web site traffic is to advertise on in carefully targeted media. For example, if you're looking for sales executives, your advertisement should be in SALES MANAGEMENT magazine (or their site) instead of PSYCHOLOGY TODAY. But the little things count too. Make sure your keywords are targeted. If you're a plumber in Chicago, make sure your keywords are “PLUMBER CHICAGO” or “CHICAGO PLUMBER” instead of just “PLUMBER.” It even helps to put on your home page some copy that talks about who your site is for!
With email list, your targeting efforts should be focused on the list. You must assess the nature of the list from its source or through its behavior. For example, if a list is a subscription list for an IT newsletter, trying to sell cosmetics to it probably won't generate a lot of sales. On the other hand, if you have a list, whatever the source, that has responded well to other cosmetic or beauty aid offers, it will probably respond well for you.
Targeting is not hard. It just requires some careful consideration to the audiences that you advertise to. Any attention you give to targeting is almost guaranteed to pay off in a big way. | 
