This is classic marketing and I have talked about this before. Find your target group, the one that is most likely to buy from you, and market to that group. Don’t try to be everything to everybody. Find your dream customer and find more of those.
However, I never said it was easy. And it can be scary. You are always aware that you could be losing out on someone who may, perhaps, in theory, possibly buy. We all do it. I do it myself. I constantly have to remind myself that I have to choose and narrow it down further – not try to be everything to everybody.
Until now I have defined my target group as small and medium business that do not have a marketing specialist on board but need to, and want to, improve their marketing. Great. But boy, that is still wide open! So I am constantly thinking about this, considering things, talking to people and finetuning.
I have considered narrowing down to SMBs in certain industries, e.g. hotel marketing from A to Z, marketing for accountants from A to Z or marketing for designers from A to Z.
One could get really good at all the suitable marketing tactics for that industry. This could work – for many it does work. Somehow though, that just doesn’t work for me. That is not what I am about. I am not a specialist in a specific industry per se, and I don’t want to be.
However, I know that my strengths and passions lie in working on marketing strategy and branding, and choosing the tactics. When it comes to executing them, setting up the email list, using Facebook etc. that’s not really my field of expertise. Sure, I know a thing or two about them, I could go down that route, but you can’t be everything to everybody and there are some really great specialists when it comes to those things, who are great at what they do, but not so great at what I do. So this the option I am going for:
I want to work on the core strategy, brand and choosing the tactics to best communicate them.
What does that mean when it comes to defining my target group? Hmmm … my dream client…
- has to be ambitious, always striving to do better and better
- has to want to build an extraordinary company – not just something that will be enough
- has to want to change the world through their business – even if it is just their own little corner
- has to want to build a unique, different and interesting business that people care about
- has to be willing to do the hard work involved
- has to be fearless – well, at least ready to face their fears
What do you want to do and who do you want to do it for?