| iv id="body"> | | | | and everyone knows them. |
| I think selling and marketing today often feels a bit like | | | | The strategy is simple - Define a clear niche for |
| talking to a brick wall and that in interesting metaphor | | | | yourself and set out to OWN it. |
| to help grasp the importance of niche marketing | | | | |
| especially when it comes to small business marketing. | | | | 1. A niche you have a passion for, that you love being |
| Imagine for a moment that you are attacking that brick | | | | part of |
| wall with a hammer, randomly hitting it everywhere. | | | | 2. A market of people you want to do business with |
| What would be the effect? Practically no effect at all. | | | | 3. Only do business with people you like |
| You might knock off a few chips but come back a | | | | 4. Find businesses or people who have common |
| day or so later, there will be no evidence you were | | | | problem's you can solve |
| even there. | | | | 5. Look for people who are likely to know each other |
| And that's the effect of any broad marketing and | | | | 6. Seek networks of people who regularly meet each |
| advertising campaign. You may make the odd sale, but | | | | other |
| overall nothing will happen and a day or so later people | | | | A niche doesn't have to be local to you. It can be |
| will not even remember your name. But back to that | | | | global as long as it meets most of the criteria above. |
| wall again, imagine you took a different strategy. | | | | Once you have selected your niche its much easier to |
| Instead of hitting all over the wall, you concentrated on | | | | identity the magazines people read, the trade shows |
| just one brick, or you searched the wall to find a brick | | | | they visit, the conferences and networking meetings |
| that was already weak. Now you are going to have a | | | | they attend, the places they meet, directories they are |
| much better result. | | | | listed in, the online forums they are members of etc., |
| And that's really the secret to small business | | | | and become a part of that community yourself. |
| marketing. Without the resources to reach millions of | | | | By working in a niche market you will quickly become |
| people, you have to concentrate your efforts on a | | | | an expert in solving their unique problems. You will |
| small tightly defined market or research the market | | | | understand their jargon. You will be talked about and |
| carefully and identify a small group with a similar urgent | | | | recommended by people when they get together. You |
| problem you can solve. Lets face it few small | | | | can establish relationships with editors and |
| businesses are going to become global household | | | | webmasters in the market and built a guru status. |
| names and even if they did, most simply don't have | | | | More importantly you will be much more able to |
| the capacity or the desire to support a huge market. | | | | customise your products and services to the specific |
| may have been built in a garage but it was backed by | | | | needs of your niche market and demonstrate not only |
| a $300,000 investment and plans to build an | | | | that you understand them, but that you care. All |
| international distribution business. | | | | business marketing is ultimately about relationship |
| I have friends in the speaking business who deal only | | | | building but that is so much easier for a niched small |
| with dentists, yet their business turns over millions of | | | | business because you can be much closer to the |
| dollars a year. In their market they have a huge | | | | issues and you are able to adapt to changes more |
| presence and high reputation. They know everyone | | | | easily. |