The first and most important step to any marketing campaign is very simple:
Define your target market.
Many people have heard about this but then dismiss it, saying, "I don't want to narrow my focus down too much because it means I could be missing opportunities."
Unfortunately, this line of thinking has cost small business owners billions in lost revenue.
Why? The answer is simply because unless you have millions of dollars to spend, you're not going to be able to reach enough people with enough frequency to cause them to hire you if you have a diluted message that tries to appeal to everyone.
So what to do?
Hone in on an extremely specific target market.
The logic goes something like this: The more specific you are with one type of client, the more you can hone your entire advertising campaign to that client so they feel compelled to work with you. Then eventually, when you're so booked up with those clients that you want to expand your business more, you can just set up a new advertising campaign focusing on a different target market.
Define your target market.
Many people have heard about this but then dismiss it, saying, "I don't want to narrow my focus down too much because it means I could be missing opportunities."
Unfortunately, this line of thinking has cost small business owners billions in lost revenue.
Why? The answer is simply because unless you have millions of dollars to spend, you're not going to be able to reach enough people with enough frequency to cause them to hire you if you have a diluted message that tries to appeal to everyone.
So what to do?
Hone in on an extremely specific target market.
The logic goes something like this: The more specific you are with one type of client, the more you can hone your entire advertising campaign to that client so they feel compelled to work with you. Then eventually, when you're so booked up with those clients that you want to expand your business more, you can just set up a new advertising campaign focusing on a different target market.
So how do I figure out my target market?
What we want to do is something called a PVP analysis. P = Personal Fulfillment, or how much you love working with that type of client. V = Value to the Marketplace, or how much that type of client values your work. The final P = Profit, which is calculated by how much money you're left with at the end of the project (after all expenses have been taken into consideration).
In order to do a PVP analysis and figure out who your best client is, you should first list out all the primary clients you work with. Perhaps you're a web designer who works with e-commerce owners, bloggers, and actors. You would need to do a separate PVP analysis for each group like so:
In order to do a PVP analysis and figure out who your best client is, you should first list out all the primary clients you work with. Perhaps you're a web designer who works with e-commerce owners, bloggers, and actors. You would need to do a separate PVP analysis for each group like so:
E-Commerce Owners
Personal Fulfillment = 6 out of 10
Value to the Marketplace = 9 out of 10
Profit = 9 out of 10
Total = 24
Bloggers
Personal Fulfillment = 8 out of 10
Value to the Marketplace = 6 out of 10
Profit = 6 out of 10
Total = 20
Actors
Personal Fulfillment = 9 out of 10
Value to the Marketplace = 8 out of 10
Profit = 4 out of 10
Total = 21
Personal Fulfillment = 6 out of 10
Value to the Marketplace = 9 out of 10
Profit = 9 out of 10
Total = 24
Bloggers
Personal Fulfillment = 8 out of 10
Value to the Marketplace = 6 out of 10
Profit = 6 out of 10
Total = 20
Actors
Personal Fulfillment = 9 out of 10
Value to the Marketplace = 8 out of 10
Profit = 4 out of 10
Total = 21
After discovering that e-commerce seems to be the best option based on the totals, it's time to decide on a particular demographic that makes the most sense to work with.
Perhaps you might get the most enjoyment out of working with female e-commerce business owners between the age of 28 and 40 who live in New York City.
Why be so specific? So your ads seem like they're speaking specifically to them. If your ads are too generalized, no one will care enough to give them a second look.
Perhaps you might get the most enjoyment out of working with female e-commerce business owners between the age of 28 and 40 who live in New York City.
Why be so specific? So your ads seem like they're speaking specifically to them. If your ads are too generalized, no one will care enough to give them a second look.
Learn everything you can about your target market.
Once you've decided on the target market you want to work with, it's time to learn more about who they are as a person. You need to do your research and find out what their biggest fears, hopes, and dreams are. What are the things that keep them up at night? What do they want to do in their lives?
The more you learn about them, the easier it will be to tailor your marketing message so they feel like you're speaking to them personally. Try searching online examples of "customer avatars." You'll get an idea of all the questions you should be answering about your target market.
Remember, even if you're so specific that you narrow your target market down to only 1,000 people, it's not a bad thing. First off, 1,000 clients would be amazing for your business. And second, after you dominate that 1,000 clients, they will feel like you treated them so well that they'll tell their friends about you.
Plus, as mentioned earlier, you can easily create a brand new marketing campaign that is tailored to your next target market (while keeping your first one running, since it will all be automated when we're done).
The more you learn about them, the easier it will be to tailor your marketing message so they feel like you're speaking to them personally. Try searching online examples of "customer avatars." You'll get an idea of all the questions you should be answering about your target market.
Remember, even if you're so specific that you narrow your target market down to only 1,000 people, it's not a bad thing. First off, 1,000 clients would be amazing for your business. And second, after you dominate that 1,000 clients, they will feel like you treated them so well that they'll tell their friends about you.
Plus, as mentioned earlier, you can easily create a brand new marketing campaign that is tailored to your next target market (while keeping your first one running, since it will all be automated when we're done).
MARKETING ACTION STEP 1: Define your target market.
Run a PVP analysis on the different people or businesses you work with to find out your ideal target market. Then, narrow it down further by choosing gender, age range, and geographic region. Be as specific as you can.
MARKETING ACTION STEP 2: Describe your target market.
What are the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of this ideal client? Where does this client spend most of their time? What do they do in a regular day? Who is in their family? Do they have any pets? What websites do they visit? What social media sites do they frequent?
Be as specific as possible so you know how to tailor your marketing message. Take a look online by Googling the phrase, “Customer Avatar.” It will give you a good idea of all the details you can fill in for your client. The more info you have, the better!
Be as specific as possible so you know how to tailor your marketing message. Take a look online by Googling the phrase, “Customer Avatar.” It will give you a good idea of all the details you can fill in for your client. The more info you have, the better!
About Me
Martin Bentsen
Martin Bentsen, founder of Bentsen Breakthrough Consulting, has spoken numerous times at New York University, has run educational seminars at Actor's Connection on branding and marketing strategies for performers, and has written a 60 page informational book called Get Cast™, focusing on marketing tactics actors can use to find more consistent work. He is a member of both the National Association of Sales Professionals and Sales & Marketing Executives International, two highly acclaimed marketing organizations in the United States.
Martin graduated in 2011 with honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' Film and Television program with a focus on directing and in 2010, he founded City Headshots®, which, according to Yelp, is ranked the top headshot studio in the United States. City Headshots currently employs seven people and has locations in New York, Denver, and Philadelphia. Some of City Headshots’ repeat clients include well known companies such as LinkedIn Corp, Facebook, American Express, and many of its photos have been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
As a business owner who has grown a photography business from zero to half a million dollars per year, Martin not only understands the intricacies of marketing and finding clients, but also what it takes for clients to successfully navigate the marketing world and make themselves memorable. He coaches small business owners one-on-one with their branding, marketing, and operational strategies, and in how they conduct themselves with actual clients.
Martin’s long term goal is to run major business seminars across the country while expanding his City Headshots brand to go international.
Martin graduated in 2011 with honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' Film and Television program with a focus on directing and in 2010, he founded City Headshots®, which, according to Yelp, is ranked the top headshot studio in the United States. City Headshots currently employs seven people and has locations in New York, Denver, and Philadelphia. Some of City Headshots’ repeat clients include well known companies such as LinkedIn Corp, Facebook, American Express, and many of its photos have been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
As a business owner who has grown a photography business from zero to half a million dollars per year, Martin not only understands the intricacies of marketing and finding clients, but also what it takes for clients to successfully navigate the marketing world and make themselves memorable. He coaches small business owners one-on-one with their branding, marketing, and operational strategies, and in how they conduct themselves with actual clients.
Martin’s long term goal is to run major business seminars across the country while expanding his City Headshots brand to go international.