Audience Targeting Exercise: Who’s Your Bubba?

Do Your Keywords Target a Narrow-Enough Audience? 

Whether you are an avid golfer or not, you’ve likely heard of Tiger Woods. In addition to his stellar career as a professional golfer, he’s a People magazine regular for his intriguing personal life. Tiger has become more than a professional golf celebrity, his influence also spans into modern pop culture. 

Imagine that you are the owner of a small business that sells golfing equipment. Tiger Woods’ prominence in the golf world may tempt you to leverage his name as a relevant keyword or targeting technique in your digital marketing. This seems like an appropriate choice, right? People online who are looking to buy golf equipment are likely interested in what Tiger has been up to. 

In reality, using an online consumer’s interest in Tiger Woods to narrow down your audience online can actually do more harm than good. Because of his prominence as a pop culture figure, the audience his name turns up will be too widespread. There won’t be a high enough concentration of avid golfers, the community that is most likely to buy your small business’ golf clubs and golf balls. 

The Goldilocks Principle: Use the Right Audience-Targeting Keywords

Small business marketers will be best served by their campaigns if they implement a concept called The Goldilocks Principle: Using industry-specific keywords and interests that few people outside your target audience will recognize increases your digital marketing campaign’s likelihood of reaching the people you want it to. 

So, a Small golf equipment company looking to market their products online should instead leverage Bubba Watson to their advantage. Don’t know who Bubba Watson is? You probably aren’t an avid golfer. This is why this type of keyword is so effective in finding an ideal audience online. 

Bubba Watson is best known for being one of few left-handed players in the PGA tour and has built a career in the golf community as a multiple majors champion with two victories at the Masters. While an average person may not recognize his name, individuals who are invested in the international golf community or have a loved one who golfs certainly will. This makes him an ideal interest or keyword to capitalize on when planning golf-centered marketing strategy. 

Finding Your Bubba: The Best Keywords for Your Audience

I encourage small business marketers who participate in BizHack Academy’s Digital Marketer’s Edge course to think seriously about who their Bubba is in their respective industry. Which influencers, brands and industry associations would only be recognized by an involved member of the community who would benefit from your business? 

For companies marketing to natural hair product enthusiasts, Carol’s Daughter products may be a relevant interest to use. For 5K runners, Hoka running shoes would be a brand that is unique to their community. For drummers, Mapex is a company that only committed musicians would recognize. Each industry has its own version of Bubba Watson. 

Once a small business marketer has nailed down this distinctive person, brand, magazine or market keyword, they can begin to leverage these specific interests to reach their ideal customers online. With the help of Facebook Audience Insights and Business Managers, small business marketers gain access to endless psychographics that allow them to target the people online who are most likely to engage with their advertisements, buy their product, and become long-term customers.