Readers Radio Tour

Broadcasting versus Nanocasting
    Targeting is everything. To target the right book buyers effectively they must be precisely defined. The more clearly the ideal reader can be identified, the easier it is to find them and the more accurately the response rate can be predicted.

    Broadcasting is what the "mass" media and traditional radio and television networks do. It is targeting the broadest possible audience by going after the largest common denominator.
    Broadcasting Response Rate: 1 in 100,000. So to hit the target the audience must be large.

    Narrowcasting is what cable does, seeking out specific (but broad enough to tickle the Nielsen meter) demographic groups and tailoring the appeal to match those criteria, e.g., sports, movies, news, and music. Narrowcasting Response Rate: 1 in 10,000.

    Nichecasting is the latest slice, where a small segment has either enough interest or population to be identifiable. Think SIGs (special interest groups) such as golf, cooking, travel, etc. Nichecasting Response Rate: 1 in 1,000.

    Microcasting is unique to new media because it requires a more definitive level of delineation. Once identified, this category of viewer is more easily motivated because the identity factor is so strong. This is currently the domain of interactive media, because the viewer responds immediately to the program, and facilitates another important micro -- micromarketing. Microcasting Response Rate:1 in 100.

    Nanocasting is a secondary subgroup -- the niche within the niche within the niche. The identity factor is so narrow and so specific that it may be limited to a small circle of associates, such as a professional grouping. But new media makes them approachable via micromarketing. Nanocasting: Response Rate: 1 in 10.

    Though the nanocasting audience may be very small, it's the audience most likely to buy.