| In This Week's
Issue: Are you targeting too many
with your marketing message? Save boucoup time and
money by niche marketing, read below to find
out how and why.
The Next Level
the ezine for for solopreneurs
from TrinityJacobs and Erin Banister
Please pass on The Next Level to your network.
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Word count for this issue: 728
Approximate time to read: 5 minutes
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SPEC*IAL NOTICE!!!
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Links
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This weeks' The Next Level URL:
http://www.TrinityJacobs.com/newsletter/TNL032006.html
Behind the Scenes Blog - Tips, Tricks, articles and
pertinent info for the solopreneur
http://www.trinityjacobs.com/blog/
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Finding Your Niche: What Do You Want to Be Known For?
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In my experience, there are two kinds of small
business owners: one that knows whom their market
niche is and utilize it, and another who tends to
waiver or not want to “set in stone” their target
market. With the latter group, I always probe for more
information: Why don’t you want to choose a specific
target for your product/service? Time and time again,
the response is the same “I don’t want to limit my
profits by only catering to a few.”
In all reality, you’re not limiting any profits at
all! When playing horseshoes, you have one horseshoe
with one stake. Try playing horseshoes with 5 stakes
and one LARGE horseshoe – how successful do you think
you’ll be then? My guess is not very. The same is true
with marketing: the more stakes you’re trying to
‘ring’ the more difficult it is to accomplish that
goal. By clarifying which stake you’re going after,
your success rate is going to be that much higher; and
because you’re targeting a specific group of people
you can speak to them using their own words and make
yourself an expert in their field!
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Expertise = more business!
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I know that personally, I would much rather do
business with someone who caters directly to my needs.
There are a million widgets out there; why would I buy
a large red widget when I need a small green one? If
I’m aware of the small green ones, I would definitely
buy one! The same goes for your product/service. The
more you know about your market, the more people of
that market are going to want to buy from you!
Determining Your Niche Continued Below
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Wouldn't you like to increase the money flow to your
business without going against your values?
(Is there a system that can really make your business
profitable, without asking you to compromise your
heart and spirit?)
Introducing the unique guidebook: Unveiling the Heart
of Your Business, How money marketing and sales can
deepen your heart, heal the world, and still add to
your bottom line. It's practical without being
overwhelming, and spiritual without the woo-woo, and
it moves you along a clear path that hundreds of other
business owners have already walked. It was written
expressly to solve the problem "How do you stay (or
become!) profitable without losing your spirituality
or sense of ethics."
One reader wrote in: "Dear Mark, I just finished
chapter 6 of your book, and I am stunned. Your work is
evolutionary.
I've been in marketing for more than 20 years and I've
never seen such authentic, eye-opening inspiration for
getting in touch with your business ~ and encouraging
it to grow from its heart (and yours). It's a
completely different way of looking at things. Thank
you, thank you, thank you!" - Sharon Desjarlais
Come get three free chapters and see for yourself:
http://www.heartofbusiness.com/thecore
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continued from above
Determining your Niche
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Where do I find my target market?
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Take a good look at your services. What are your three
favorite things in the array of services you sell, the
ones that you enjoy most? List them on paper, define
them clearly, and there you will find your starting
point.
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Who can use these services?
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You need to figure out who can use ALL of these
services. Not just one, but all three of the services
you chose. No easy route here: answering small
business owners just doesn’t count (The Small Business
Administration (www.sba.gov) estimated there were 23.7
million small businesses in 2003). There may very well
be more than one group of people who can use your
services; but you must approach these groups one at a
time for the most success out of your marketing
dollar. Once you find that specific group, narrow it
down even further. For example, for many years I
worked exclusively with bankruptcy attorneys, and was
considered an expert (see that word again) in
assisting with bankruptcies. My services were actively
sought out (once the word was out about who I am and
what I did) without me having to market extensively.
Why? Because I was ‘the one to go to’ regarding
bankruptcy assistance. I even trained quite a few
personnel in businesses I just didn’t have time to
assist. These people needed my services, and they
needed my unique characteristics.
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Who exactly are you speaking to?
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You must do some research (yes, the dreaded ‘r’ word)
to figure out the demographics/psychographics of your
ideal client. Who are they? Where do they live? How
much money do they make annually? Where do they shop?
What do they do in their spare time? Where do they
congregate? The list goes on and on. You need to know
as much about the specific types of people to whom
you’re marketing. An easy and cost-effective method on
the internet is finding discussion groups directed at
those people, and listening very carefully. Knowing
the exact demographics just isn’t enough – you must
get into their heads and find out what makes them
tick. When you know what makes them tick, you know how
to speak to them; therefore, making it a lot easier to
position yourself as an expert.
Market research doesn’t have to be costly or
difficult; use your imagination to find where your
ideal client congregates and the websites/books they
visit/read, and you’ll get a good starting point. Seek
out people individually, and probe their needs. They
will tell you what you want to hear regarding this,
and more often then not, they will also direct you to
places to find more information. Get an insider in the
industry, and use them to their fullest potential.
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What makes you different?
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Now is the time to take a look at your competition for
this niche. What services are you offering that differ
from the services of your competition? What
characteristics are they looking for in you? Do you
need to be professional, but upbeat and personal? Do
they need someone who specializes in their business
with a focus in marketing or project management? This
is the time to make yourself shine! You need to stand
out from the competition, and add your own personal
flare. You need to know what makes you different and
highlight it every chance you get! This not only helps
define your market, but this is another way your
customer will actively seek you when they are in need.
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Marking your Territory
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Once you’ve figured out this vital information about
your ideal client, you can begin actively marketing
and advertising your services. You will know to whom
you are speaking, so make sure that you are always
speaking to them! This is the time for you to announce
to your market who you are and what you do! Add it in
any signature line you can make, in any direct or
email marketing pieces, brochures, articles, letters,
everywhere you can! Make sure your networking groups
know who you are targeting: they will be another tool
to use to your advantage. Be the expert you are: show
it to all. Niche marketing is not only a powerful
tool, but a very BIG rule in my book. Combined with
your branding techniques, this will give your
marketing the most bang for your buck. And don’t
worry: You can always choose a new niche!
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Liked the article? Questions or comments?
Email me at
http://www.trinityjacobs.com/contact.html
All the best,
Erin Banister
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Heighten your Knowledge
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-----Beat the Google Adwords System---------
Google AdWords is hot. In fact it may be the first
and best thing to do to get traffic to your site.
But it's not alwa as easy as I just made it sound -
AdWords has some nuances, and some people have a
rough time at first.
Well my colleague Perry Marshall has written a very
helpful e-course called "5 days to success with Google
AdWords" and there's no charge for it. You can find
out about it here:
http://snipurl.com/TJ_Adwords
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-----Making Dollars Out of Cents------------
Find yourself strapped for cash, yet needing to
market more? Heather Jacobson of ValleyVA has
compiled a book of 101 tips for the frugal
marketer titled: Making Dollars out of Cents:
101 tips for the frugal marketer. Filled with
top-knotch ideas for marketing on a budget,
Heather has created an e-book that you need
handy. Begin by downloading this F*REE preview
of 10 tips for the frugal marketer here:
http://www.trinityjacobs.com/ebooks/10tips.pdf
and then go to her site to get the full
shebang.
http://snipurl.com/InexpensiveMarketing
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-----Action Plan Marketing------------------
Robert Middleton, another marketing guru, has
written the InfoGuru Manual, the Website Toolkit,
and the Action Plan Toolkit - all of which are
sure to take your service business to the next
level. He explains what you need to do -
sequentially, I might add - in great detail,
while still 'keeping it simple'. Whether you're
a new or seasoned marketer, you'll get much more
than you asked for from any of these books.
But don't just take my word for it - browse through
his site, download the free workbooks and read
through his articles - you'll become a believer
yourself!
See for yourself at
http://snipurl.com/TJ_APM
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-----The Brain Audit------------------------
Marketing Guru Extraordinare Sean D'Souza has
created this information-packed website, filled
with information regarding everything form
copywriting to structure to design - and everything
inbetween. With over 300 articles to his credit,
you may just want to bypass the articles and go
straight to the meatiest ebook you'll find. The
Brain Audit is surprisingly short, yet filled
with information that I guarantee will help you
take your business into the stratosphere.
See for yourself at
http://www.psychotactics.com/hiddenlinkSmallBusiness.htm
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Services I Recommend
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The business below are the services I use on a day-
to-day basis in TrinityJacobs. I recommend them
without reservation. Please check them out and
see how they can help you too.
OUR EMAIL LIST SERVICE: I use an awesome service
called AWeber. Find out more about them at
http://snipurl.com/TJ_Aweber
OUR WEB HOST: I use an amazing service called
Dreamhost. For less than $150/year, you get
unlimited domains, tons of storage, and
amazing customer service. Find out more here:
http://snipurl.com/n18z
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About This eZine and About Your Subscription
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© 2006 Erin Banister, All rights reserved. You are
free to use material from The Next Level eZine in
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Administrivia: How to Conquer Administrative
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