Hello, I just recently launched a skateboarding eBook and received tons of emails telling me how badly they want the product but their parents won't buy it for them. Does anyone else target an audience who cannot make financial decisions and if so, how do you get around that? Thanks.
The best thing to do would to be to go around to as many skate shops as you can and ask them if you can place your ebook in their store (put it at the cash register and then raise the price like $5 and every time it sells, that $5 goes to the store. OR Ask these kids for the parents and talk to them via phone or email, and sympathize with them saying "Yes the internet is dangerous, but we are not scammers!" Get verified through verisign and others, offer a 60 day money back guarantee. I'll make you a 60 day money back thing if you'd like . (free)
I've found that when marketing to teens it's best to go with cheap, inexpensive things that they can purchase on their own (or without their parents knowledge - ringtones, anyone?). In your case, here would be my suggestion. Whip up another ebook / article that they can print out for their parents explaining the benefits of skateboarding. Exercise, sense of community, etc. Something like, "Your young adult could be inside playing video games and contributing to the US's obesity problem, or they could be outside having fun and getting exercise in a safe way! If you're concerned about safety, anyone wearing proper padding will be fine, which is documented here and available here..." etc. So email the kids back with that stuff and tell them to print it out for their parents - because you care about your customers, etc. See what I'm getting at? =)
I have an advertising opportunity for you. My audience is mostly teens... most of whom seem to be skaters. Although I am not sure if they rely on parents to buy them things, I certainly think would help your sales. PM me if you are interested. Thanks.
If you or anyone who has responded here has a steady flow of teen traffic, PM me, I'll introduce you to something that will monotize your traff
If I go after teens I don't sell anything, but I use teen traffic for ad clicks teens click ads like no other market.
It's not the teen demographic that makes it difficult to market to it's the fact that the market is extremely saturated. The teen market is probably the most targeted demographic because, contrary to what's been said in this thread, teens, overall, have a large amount of disposable income because many work part time and don't have to pay rent or bills. There is also a tremendous amount of potential in teen marketing. Gaining exposure and building brand loyalty while the consumer is young can make for a very lucrative future.
I'd be inclined to introduce more payment options if you haven't already. In some cases teens can buy the book, but don't have a credit card for paypal or a check book etc. If you have a variety of payment options that are easy for the parents to use (many don't trust using credit cards over the internet) then you might get more sales.
Thanks for the help. I'm actually thinking about getting a testimonial from a parent and placing that by the order form.