Telling Shoppers from Shoplifters

So you get one of those emails that promises to Add 10,000 Followers to your Twitter Account!

And?

Adding 10,000 customers to your marketing would be A Good Thing.

Adding 10,000 people who will soak up your time and energy and money and never buy anything would be A Bad Thing.

A century ago, when big newspapers were brand new and the first mass media, a publisher happened to meet the doyen of that city’s upscale department store. “Madam,” the publisher said, “You will have to advertise in my newspaper now. I now have one million subscribers.”

“Sir,” she replied, “Your subscribers are our shoplifters.”

So how do you tell the shoppers from the shoplifters?

Here’s where to start: Who actually uses each medium? How do the use it? Where? When?

Now how do these answers match up with the customers you are trying to reach?

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