Catchy, right? While this appears to be more of a weak stab at poetic rhyme, it is actually true, and marketers and business owners need to understand this. Early on in the business, it just feels right to reach as many people out there, get as many people as possible through the door, and close sales. The billion dollar question is, does it work? Well, you are here to find out, aren’t you?
The marketing guru Seth Godin advises marketers to focus their efforts on the smallest viable audience. This essentially means you need to define your ideal customer and curate your marketing efforts to target and be relevant to this ideal customer. Godin defines the minimum viable audience as the smallest group of people who share a common need or desire that can sustain your business or project. This is similar to Kevin Kelly’s idea of a thousand true fans.
“To be a successful creator you don’t need millions. You don’t need millions of dollars or millions of customers, millions of clients or millions of fans. To make a living as a craftsperson, photographer, musician, designer, author, animator, app maker, entrepreneur, or inventor you need only thousands of true fans. A true fan is defined as a fan that will buy anything you produce. These diehard fans will drive 200 miles to see you sing; they will buy the hardback and paperback and audible versions of your book; they will purchase your next figurine sight unseen; they will pay for the “best-of” DVD version of your free youtube channel; they will come to your chef’s table once a month. If you have roughly a thousand of true fans like this (also known as super fans), you can make a living — if you are content to make a living but not a fortune. “
In this regard, marketing is essentially reaching out to potential true fans and building relationships with them in a way that matters to them. It doesn’t matter what you think about your product or service. What matters is what your minimum viable audience thinks, your proverbial 1000 true fans
How do you niche down on your minimum viable audience?
Simple. Demographics and psychographics. demographics refer to the statistical characteristics of a population, such as age, gender, income, education level, and location. Psychographics, on the other hand, refers to the attitudes, beliefs, interests, and values. The relationship between the two is that they are complementary. Defining demographics and psychographics helps you tailor your marketing efforts specifically for your niche since you already know your audience, where to find them, what they believe in, their hopes, fears, and so on.
I should probably mention that doing so may make you unrelatable to those who are not part of your demographic and psychographic, and that is perfectly fine. Accepting this puts you in a position where you don’t have to change your marketing efforts to target ‘everyone’. You can stand back and comfortably say we are not for you. You are not part of the tribe
The idea of the tribe traces back to Seth Godin’s book, Tribes. Seth’s basic premise is that a tribe is any group of people, large or small, that is connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. Do your marketing right, and you might just establish yourself as the leader, your customers, the tribesmen, and your product/service; the idea
Customer Acquisition Journey
This is yet another reason you should define your customer. Why the typical customer acquisition journey is something like; awareness > consideration > conversion > retention & advocacy, knowing your customer helps with getting the customer into the sales funnel, and the way the customer is treated at each stage. Knowing your customer helps you to know where to get them and what to say to them when you find them.
Customer profile vs persona
If you are wondering how the heck you are going to define your customer, a customer profile is a great place to get started. The process of developing either a customer profile or customer persona will give you clarity over your customers’ needs by understanding their buying patterns, such as what, how and where they buy – and more importantly – their motivations for buying.
What is the difference between tcustomer profile and customer persona? While a customer profile is a basic high-level description of your ideal customers, a customer persona is a fictional customer with a photo, name, and personality that represents the common traits of your ideal customers.
Creating a customer persona involves more than demographics; it’s about giving your ideal customer a face, a name, and a personality. For example, “Martha” might be a 35-year-old working mom who values convenience, health, and sustainability. Imagining Martha’s needs and preferences enables you to craft messaging that feels tailored to her.
Be covert not overt
Your positioning should make us know whether we (as customers) are a fit without explicitly saying so. You don’t have to tell us, ‘Hey, we are passionate about serving working moms blah blah blah.’ Rather, let the messaging, look, and feel communicate this for you. Make the language of your business, the look and feel of your graphics, website, etc, relatable with your target audience. This means putting a lot of thought into design and copywriting, among other things, all of which essentially translate into branding. (A brand is a customer’s gut feeling about a product, service, or company)
The best brands don’t tell you who they are or why they’re relevant; they show you. When you design your website, packaging, and social media to align with the aesthetic and values of your target audience, they will recognize themselves in your brand.
For instance, if your audience consists of eco-conscious millennials, your colour scheme might feature earth tones, and your copy could emphasize sustainability in a natural, conversational tone. The idea is to make your ideal customers feel, “This brand gets me” without having to spell it out.
The Long-Term Payoff: Loyalty, Advocacy, and Growth
Targeting a specific audience and building a tribe doesn’t just impact immediate sales—it establishes the foundation for brand loyalty. People who feel a genuine connection to your brand are more likely to become repeat customers, leave positive reviews, and even advocate for you within their own networks. Over time, this core audience can help you reach new customers, expanding organically and sustainably.
Time to embrace niche marketing
Marketing to everyone is tempting, but it’s ultimately a shortcut to being overlooked. By defining and focusing on your minimum viable audience, you can build a brand that resonates deeply with the people who matter most to your business. These are the true fans who will not only buy your products but also advocate for your brand, providing the foundation for sustainable growth.
When you know your audience intimately—their values, desires, and challenges—every aspect of your marketing becomes more effective, from messaging to visuals. In essence, marketing to a well-defined niche allows you to connect authentically, grow meaningfully, and stand out in a crowded marketplace.
So, instead of casting a wide net, put in the work to know your tribe. Tailor your efforts, speak directly to their needs, and let your brand become a part of their world. In the end, marketing to everyone is indeed marketing to no one—real success lies in reaching the few who matter most.
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