If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business. That’s why your target audience is arguably the most important detail when it comes to branding your business and marketing your services. While it takes less time and thinking to cast a wide net, it also achieves less results.
Here are a few reasons why narrowing down your ideal customer will reap more benefits in the long run.
Start small to go faster
Did you know that Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook specifically for Harvard University students, not billions of people? We all know how that story ends: Meta is now worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
If you’re just getting started in your business, it’s easy to say yes to every client and every project. But inching down will give you a leg up much faster than working with whoever is willing to pay you.
Rather than waiting for years of experience to accumulate, narrow down your audience to a specific group of people. When you focus on one group and really get to know them, your marketing will resonate more deeply with them, and you will appear more credible. If you need help determining who to focus on, consider hiring a brand positioning consultant to leverage strategy and data.
Remember that sales aren’t necessarily achieved by those who have the most experience or credentials. They’re achieved by those who make the customer feel like they can solve their problem.
Cut out the competition
There are countless businesses out there that don’t harness the power of niching down. Even if you are a new or small company, they are doomed to work that much harder than you to acquire new business.
When you get really specific about who you serve and how you help them, the number of businesses out there that compete with you becomes smaller and smaller. If a client is considering a company that helps anyone versus a company that helps people just like themselves, there really is no competition.
Plus, a brand positioning consultant can help you analyze your current competition and identify gaps in the market that you can claim and conquer.
Become the go-to expert
Do you ever hear people say, “I know a guy”? Chances are, that “guy” does one specific thing very well. As a result, he or she becomes known as the expert that everyone goes to for that one thing.
Here’s another example: let’s say you have a bulldog puppy that needs training, and you decide to look online for resources. Which website do you think would better answer your questions, “Caring for Animals” or “Bulldog Training 101”?
Think of your business the same way. Your positioning should showcase you as the go-to for a niche group. Your audience wants to feel understood, and they want to know you have the answers to their specific problems. If all of your content centers around your niche, there will be no denying your credibility in that area.
Make your marketing more effective
If your messaging is really vague or says the same thing as everyone else, no one is going to pay attention. However, if your messaging gets really specific to one group of people or one problem, your target audience will start listening.
People shut out noise that doesn’t add value to their lives. They naturally gravitate toward messages that feel like they were crafted specifically for them.
That’s why narrowing your target audience means not only better marketing results, but also less wasted ad spend. Focusing in on a specific audience will ensure you’re reaching potential customers without wasting money on those that aren’t interested. Not targeting a specific enough audience is one of several reasons why your digital advertising campaigns aren’t working.
If you are still waiting for the results you were hoping for running ads, consider hiring a brand positioning consultantlike Studio Lyn to help you identify how to reach the right audience.
Build a strong referral network
When you target a broad group, your connections may not be very impactful. But if you focus on a specific group of people, you can build stronger relationships within that community.
A small but mighty network is infinitely more powerful than a large, distant following. As your network becomes stronger, you’ll receive more and more referrals, which become more and more case studies within your niche. It’s a cycle destined for success.
Having a deep understand of the people that make up your audience and how to reach them is crucial in successfully growing your business.
If you’re not sure where to start or feel overwhelmed by the task of identifying your target audience, we can help. As brand positioning consultants, we’ll work with you to narrow down your target audience and elicit them to engage with your brand.
