Are you all in?

I've had a few conversations recently with business owners who're teetering.

Some are tinkering around the edges. Some are poised to go deeper but not quite there. 

This is to encourage you to jump and 'go all in'...

I'm talking about focusing on something - in this case a target market - and really doing everything you can to be as strong as you can in that area. There are great revenue benefits when you do. And it makes marketing much easier. 

A few examples: 

Is your business dog-tolerant, or dog-friendly? Do you just provide the basics and accept dogs, or make them (and their owners) feel really cosseted so they recommend you to other dog-owners (who always know others)? Or maybe you pride yourself on having an allergen-free business? 

Do you encourage families, or do you really specialise in making families with young children ecstatically happy, so parents love to share their memories and photos on social media and tell other parents all about you? 

Do you offer guided walks for anyone who can actually manage to remember who you are and how to get in touch, or do you focus on guided walks for people who have a specific mindset or situation such as recovering from a severe illness, or wanting to bond with new friends over gin? 

Many years ago I had a client with a small hotel near a London railway station. Many hotels in that area had a reputation for being dirty. He set out to make his as clean as possible, and promote cleanliness as his 'thing', often with humour. It really worked. His profile and revenue shot up. 

There's a man who offers walks along Hadrian's Wall. He helps visitors delve into the history of the Roman site. He doesn't just drone on about a few key facts. He goes 'all in' to bring the historical site alive, dressed as a Roman. His tour is much more memorable. Journalists write about him. Visitors ask for him, even those who say they're not really interested in history. 

A hotel in the Yorkshire Dales has just declared that it will become England's first vegan hotel, providing only vegan meals and vegan toiletries. 

Of course when you do something like this, there's a certain amount of what-aboutery, but it doesn't come from the people in their target market - so any detractors can be ignored. 

This 'all in' approach, really specialising, really digging deeper to think what you can do to stand for something, to focus on a key market, makes life much easier.

Marketing is easier.

Your business is more memorable.

You only attract the kind of visitors who appreciate what you do. You don't have to spend time wondering what facilities to offer - it's much clearer.

Publicity is easier - the people in your target market or 'tribe' help to spread the word. Journalists will love you. 

What will you go 'all in' on? Or what stops you? 

Get in touch if you'd like to talk through a specific marketing idea. I offer a small number of 60 minute one-to-one business support consultations which could help you think through your next steps. You'll feel better once you know exactly who you'll target in future!