Photo courtesy of Nandhu Kumar @nandhukumarndd
Finding your perfect target audience. Ah, the eternal quest.
Maybe it’s not so hard. Maybe it’s the difference between a telescope and a microscope.
Telescope and Microscope Targeting
A telescope scopes far and broad, capturing planets and stars.
A microscope focuses near and compact, admiring molecules and particles.
If you’re a small business owner, here’s the secret:
Use the microscope to find your audience.
“Telescope targeting” is for those with a trillion dollars in the vault. They “brand” to anyone who breathes.
“Microscope targeting” is for the rest of us with limited budgets. It's creating “direct response” campaigns for a measurable return on investment.
The Marketing Search
But WHO are you seeking with your campaigns?
Somewhere out there is your perfect group. They’re waiting to be your super-fans. They’ll wear your t-shirts and share your posts and tell their friends about you. Why? Because you solve one of their unique problems in a unique way.
So search for them — that smallest viable group, the tiniest possible audience — those who can easily and willingly sustain your service.
Smaller is Better
But how do you know if that “small” segment is large enough to support your business?
Marketing consultant Philip Morgan says if there’s a conference organized for them, then your audience is big enough.
In other words, don’t just say you’re after farmers, go for the goat milkers.
And seriously, there’s a conference for goat milkers — so, yes, they pass the test.
Even Facebook started by only targeting Harvard students. That’s about as niche as you can get.
What's the tiniest audience you can serve?
Marketing Magic
When you find them and speak their native language, something magical happens. Your message converts in an almost miraculous way.
You’ll whisper into their soul.
Buh-bye, generic statements and cliche phrases. Hello, laser-beam, ultra-specific focus.
Instead of looking for your target audience with a telescope, squint and look through the eye of a microscope.
See them?
They’re small, but they exist, and they’re waving at you and waiting.
Need Help With Your Target Audience?
Struggling to win new customers with marketing that doesn’t seem to work while it eats up your profits?
Yeah, no fun.
If you’re a service-based small business owner, we’ll help you grow your revenue over the next twelve months.
How? By creating a custom plan giving you the exact steps.
To get started, email me or schedule here.
About Me
Hey, I’m Brian, co-founder of Genie Jar Digital. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a mean moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor.
