Who’s your target customer? Let the target decide.

Everyone over the age of 16 could be interested in a car. Actually, people under the age of 16 may be even more fascinated by cars, but that’s another story.

The question is, if you had to talk to one subset of the car-buying group, which would it be?

In the car business, conventional wisdom has always veered toward men, ages 25 to 54. This was largely based on feel or intuition. Men like cars.

Without reflecting on the wisdom of following the conventional wisdom (we’re always fans of zigging where others zag), there’s a more scientific approach these days. In this age of digital media, we don’t have to define a target audience. We have precision marketing tactics that allow the audience to identify themselves.

Digital metrics allow us to see who is — and equally important, who is not — engaging with our messaging and converting. They also provide the opportunity to see what creative messages truly resonate with those customers. It’s the equivalent of a real-time focus group, with the focus being your brand.

And the best part is that you don’t have to study the metrics or waste time refining your strategy. Your buy is optimized through machine learning, creating a continuous feedback loop that makes your advertising increasingly streamlined and efficient.

No longer is 30% to 50% of your spend unproductive and dragging your per-vehicle marketing spend around in circles. With good technology and an even better team of collaborators working closely with you, a new and better yield should be expected.