People confused about business decisions often come to me with the symptoms of the problem. They want to know things like:
- “How to niche down without losing customers”
- “Why is my marketing not converting?”
- “How do I create a product for a specific demographic?”
The Problem is in the Basics
I recently told a friend about the Second Act Business Summit—the event I hosted specifically for people 50+ looking to start a business after their primary career.
Before I could even finish my sentence, she jumped in: “Leslie, that offer is way too broad.”
I had to stop her. I hadn’t even shared the offer yet. I had only shared the audience.
There is a massive difference between who you serve and what you do for them.
- The Audience: 50+ entrepreneurs (The “Who”)
- The Offer: A 5-step intensive to build a 12-month PR roadmap (The “What”)
If you confuse the two, you run into “Marketing Mania.” You start trying to make your audience narrower to fix a product that isn’t clear.
Why this Matters for Your Promotions
You have to be specific about your audience. You can have a broad audience (like “Small Business Owners”) as long as you have a precise offer (like “5 Steps to Marketing Velocity”).
If you try to narrow your audience too much because you’re afraid of being “broad,” you might accidentally “niche” yourself right out of a market.
Define the Who: Who do you actually enjoy working with?
Define the What: What is the one specific problem you solve for them?
Here’s an exercise you can take yourself through to make sure you are keeping your audience broad enough to not saturate your market quickly.
The Audience vs. Offer Reality Check
Stop the “Marketing Mania” by separating who you serve from what you solve.
Step 1: Define the “Who” (The Wide Net)
Don’t be afraid of a broad audience here. Who is the general group of people you are called to help?
- Example: “Professionals over 50 starting their second act.”
- Your Audience: ________________________________________________
Step 2: Identify the “Pain Point” (The Precise Problem to Solve)
What is the one, specific, high-stakes problem that keeps this audience awake at 2:00 AM?
- Example: “They have 30 years of wisdom but zero idea how to package it for a digital market.”
- The Specific Pain: ________________________________________________
Step 3: Draft the “Offer” (The No-Nonsense Solution)
Based on that pain, what is the single result you deliver? (Hint: If you list ten things, your offer is too broad. Pick one.)
- Example: “A 12-month Marketing Roadmap to establish instant authority in a new industry.”
- Your Precise Offer: ________________________________________________
Recent Comments