The old adage goes, “If you try to be everything to everyone you end up being nothing to no one.” As harsh as this statement is, there is tremendous truth behind the concept of niche marketing and creating your superiority in the eyes of your niche. A niche market is nothing more than your ideal customers and clients.
When you know your niche market you will be able to:
* Tailor a message that will directly connect with your ideal customer.
* Save money since you will not need to blanket the market with your message.
* Increase the effectiveness of your advertising.
* Allow your ideal customers to have a more personal experience.
There is no doubt, deciding on a target and defining your niche can be a scary task. Especially in a down-turned economy, the thought of becoming too specialized and possibly missing out on every piece of business is daunting. Again, however, I go back to the quote at the beginning of this post. If your messages and branding are vague, they will not make a connection with anyone. Creating an emotional connection and playing upon your targeted customer’s ideals and needs is vital to earning their business!
Defining your target market is easier than you think.
First answer these questions… Who are your current customers and clients? Which customers are your favorites? (These customers are loyal and have built relationships with you and love your products or service.)
Once you have established your “favorite customers”, evaluate the characteristics of these people. What do they look like as far as age, gender, income levels, location, etc.?
Then take it a step further: What does this customer need? How can I fulfill their needs? How am I the BEST choice to fulfill their needs? What media does this customer use? …and so on.
Having this mental picture of your niche market is the first step in creating solid direction in your marketing and branding efforts. Happy targeting!
