By: joyce corrales

The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other dry, open area with low vegetation [1]. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated by prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the mid-day heat. Most hunting is still done from dusk until dawn, like many owls, when they can use their night vision and hearing to their advantage.  Wikimedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl

The burrowing owl when hunting will perch and wait until they spot prey. They swoop or fly up to catch prey in flight. Sometimes, they chase prey on foot across the ground. The owl's highly variable diet includes invertebrates and small vertebrates, which is roughly one-third and two-thirds of the diet. However, burrowing owls mainly eat large insects and small rodents.

A little know fact about the burrowing owl is that they are capable of targeting a specific market of prey, the dung beetle. The burrowing owls line its burrow with dung, animal feces, then lay and wait in the burrow until the dung beetle discovers the dung. Once the beetle enters the burrow, it's over.

No doubt, some of the most successful companies know how important it is to target the market and fully understand how to use the tools for targeting a segment. They understand how to swoop clients in flight; impulse buying like at the supermarket with product placement. They know how to run after the business with telemarketing, flyers and mail outs; targeting new home buyers, elderly people and college students.

Unfortunately the least successful businesses simply toss ads in the air and waits to see who grabs a hold.  Sometimes it works but it's merely the impulse of the buyer. Affiliate sites are sort of like that. A few banners related to your site, okay, but a site plastered with banners detracts from the message if there is one.

So what have you learned from the burrowing owl? Now that you know why targeting your market is so important, you can go out and get it dung like the professionals.

About the Author

Joyce Corrales was born in Memphis Texas and has been in business for self since age 12. Her first business adventure was not a business adventure at all but a way to raise money for a girlfriend in her neighborhood in Arizona who was dying of sickle cell. She created a flyer with the friend's picture and story and went house to house collecting money for the family. She raised $1,500, but that was just the beginning... http://www.phishats.com

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