\nhe must use more strength,
\nbut wisdom helps one to succeed.\u201d<\/em>
\nEcclesiastes 10:10<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me six hours to chop down a tree How sharp is your axe? When you list your experience on your website, do you cover more than one major industry? More than two, three, five, ten? When you list your capabilities, do you list one? More than two, three, five? The more items on these lists, the broader your positioning. The fewer there are, the more focused. Effectiveness in your marketing efforts and client\u2019s willingness to pay higher fees all rise and fall along these sliding scales.<\/p>\n Back in the early 2000\u2019s, when I was still running Newfangled, I was always trying to make the case for the power of content marketing. I was able to demonstrate how it worked for us, and how an agency\u2019s website could become an effective marketing platform. The importance of content strategy is old news these days. Most companies understand the benefits of a solid, consistent content strategy. But few do it well. Particularly design firms. <\/p>\n Design Firm Blah Blogs<\/strong> Since it takes time to generate posts, most agencies soon find that \u201cthe juice ain\u2019t worth the squeeze\u201d and so they stop posting. And it\u2019s true. Simply producing posts only gets half of \u201ccontent strategy\u201d right–the content part–but it leaves off the strategy<\/em> part. General, non-targeted content accomplishes very little. You may have written much, but the dull edge of each post barely make a dent for your marketing efforts. <\/p>\n Occasionally though, I find a firm that has taken the courageous path of narrow positioning. They rigorously focus on just one industry and they do one main thing for those kinds of clients. Now at first you would think that someone who does the same kind of work for the same kind of client every day would have less and less to write about on their blog. But you\u2019d be wrong. Maintaining focus on one main thing, having a sharp edge, actually produces much insight and wisdom in that area of expertise–thus content creation becomes easier and more effective. <\/p>\n Sample Sharp Positioning <\/strong> In this theoretical example the right kind of client found a specialized firm. But let\u2019s turn the picture around. Suppose the client doesn\u2019t find that site? How does the principal of Food Motion Design<\/em> find qualified clients? <\/p>\n Well since he\u2019s locked into the foodservice distribution niche it should be pretty easy. I can think of a few ideas off the top of my head. A quick LinkedIn search for \u201cfood distribution\u201d generates 5,365 companies for starters. A little clicking around and he should be able to find the marketing directors of those companies. An email or InMail pointing them to his website is easy enough. And when they click through and see the focused experience and very relevant posts, he can expect some good responses. <\/p>\n Marketing Without a Niche<\/strong>
\nand I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.\u201d<\/em>
\nAbraham Lincoln<\/center><\/p>\n![\"axe\"](\"https:\/\/rewardingtoil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/axe.jpg\")
Many design firms business problems such as financial underperformance, difficulty finding new clients, and downward pressure on project quotes can be traced back to poor positioning. The more general or broad a firm\u2019s positioning is (what they do, who they do it for, and the clear benefits they provide), the less impact their efforts will make, and therefore the less valuable they will be to their clients. But the sharper their positioning (the more narrow or specific their focus), the easier it becomes to find clients who will value their specific expertise and therefore pay them more for their efforts. The law of specialization functions for design firms as much as it does for doctors, lawyers, and engineers. <\/p>\n
\nI look at a lot of design firm and advertising agency websites since they are my market focus. When I visit their blogs I see the same pattern over and over. Typically the firm started out posting weekly, then slipped to monthly, then less often than that. Finally, the posts drop off altogether. And when I scan the subjects of their posts, I see more patterns. There is usually a blend of company culture posts, professional practice posts, and general PR (hires, new clients, etc.). There\u2019s nothing wrong with those kinds of posts, but they do very little for a firm\u2019s marketing efforts. And if that\u2019s all there are, it betrays the firm\u2019s lack of focus and poor positioning.<\/p>\n
\nConsider an example. A large food distribution company arrives your design firm\u2019s website to consider hiring you to design their new website. \u201cWebsite design\u201d is indeed listed among your capabilities and your portfolio has several examples of sites for companies from many different industries. This prospect considers hiring you but then they find Food Motion Design<\/em>. (I know, that\u2019s a terrible name, but I\u2019m just writing a hypothetical blog post here, not branding a firm.) Food Motion Design<\/em> focuses on websites for the foodservice distribution industry. Their blog is full very specific posts about how a website can be best utilized in for distribution companies. They attend and speak at many of the industry trade shows for the food distribution industry. The prospect recognizes some of the names of companies like theirs from other regions in the country. Before they even pick up the phone or send an email they\u2019re probably already thinking the right kind of question, \u201cI wonder if we can afford them.\u201d Focused content does a lot of the heavy lifting of sales when it follows sharp positioning. <\/p>\n
\nBut what about your marketing efforts? What criteria or search terms would you use in a source like LinkedIn to find prospects? And if you reach out and get them to visit your site would anything there be compelling for their specific needs? What publications, associations, events would be fitting for you to attend, speak at, or sponsor to reach clients? <\/p>\n