Catherine Lawson writes “Do you think you know it all?” … to which, unfortunately there are times when I must answer… why yes…. I do think I know a damned lot about marketing.
Obviously, I think I know a lot about marketing… because I wrote a book on the subject. Before I wrote the darned thing however, I did a LOT of research. I did this because, in all honesty, I wasn’t that jazzed about writing a book. While I wouldn’t classify myself as lazy, I really didn’t want to go to all the WORK of writing a book. As a matter of fact, I self-published my tiny tome because shopping for a publisher was just more time and effort than I was willing to endure.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find ANY BODY who was covering the topic of “how to” when it comes to choosing a niche.
Book after book, ebook after ebook would recite the same mantra… “Choose a niche”. That’s it. One author went on to recommend that if the dear reader were struggling to choose a niche market, then just open the yellow pages and see where the book opens. Close your eyes, drop your finger to the page and VIOLA, you’ve chosen a niche market.
By this point in my quest, this qualified as a highly intricate and specialized level of instruction.
The authors most books on marketing would then move on to more “interesting” creative topics of the form and substance of creating powerful marketing messages.
Because of my “bossy, know it all” attitude. I wrote a book and covered a subject I considered to be greatly overlooked. How positively entrepreneurial of me.
Blame my perspective on my unique career path… I began working in an agency. The business owners with whom we worked had already successfully identified their niche market and by doing so had built a business that warranted expert management of their marketing message. Then, I chose my own version of the “Mommy track”… and moved into media sales. That moved proved to be more jolting than I had expected. Suddenly, I was working with business owners whose yearly advertising expenditure didn’t equal a single month of print buys for my former clients.
These were the people who needed help in choosing a niche market. These business owners were the ones for whom I wrote my book. People who had to be convinced that by targeting “everyone” they were targeting “no one”.
So that is the background from which I write. I’ve served my time in the trenches… working behind the scenes with literally HUNDREDS of small business owners. This is not theoretical pie in the sky abstract thinking… this is “down and dirty” choose your niche and get starting building your business marketing advice.
So if I come across as a know it all bossy b*tch…. just remember… I’m a pretty grizzled veteran of marketing and advertising. One of the benefits of suffering through decades of the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” is to be able to assume the mantel of Bossy Know it All. <grin>
Hehehe… I have great respect for bossy b*tches – because I know they’re great entrepreneurs. As long as they don’t work with me, that is 😉
Thanks for the linkout!
Hi – I’m so sorry. It looks like you linked to me way back in March and I didn’t realise until now – thank you.
I dont’ blame you for self-publishing. Getting a book published the traditional way can be a slow process. And the writer doesn’t get to see much of the profits.