Helena B Communications

ExpertisePR for Marketers

Helena Bouchez helps marketing thought leaders raise their profiles with prospects and influencers via expertise PR.

The Benefits of Narrow Positioning

In my latest post for the Marketingprofs Daily Fix, I interviewed David C. Baker, owner of ReCourses, Inc., which provides individual consulting, seminars, speaking, and writing exclusively for firms in the marketing industry (design, advertising, public relations, interactive, and in-house), on a topic we are both passionate about: Positioning. (See “5 Insights on Narrow Positioning.”)

In the interview, David focuses on the bottom line benefits of narrow positioning, which is to say, making your business less relevant to most clients so that you can maximize efficiency and profitability working with a select few. But from an expertise public relations standpoint, narrow positioning also makes it a lot easier to become known for something and recognized as an industry expert on it.

The biggest problem with being general is that to gain recognition, you have to be more places, all the time. Imagine the difference between having to work a crowd at a big party of 100 people versus an intimate cocktail party of 15. Getting to those 85 additional “people” takes a commensurate amount of additional effort. And because there are so many more people competing for everyone’s attention, the probability of them remembering you is dramatically diminished.

The moral of the story is: You either need to narrow down your positioning or be prepared to work 10x harder (and/or spend 10x as much money if you want someone to help you) to raise your profile among prospects and influencers who are monitoring 10x more information outlets.

P.S. If you are a narrowly positioned marketing thought leader attending the Marketingprofs Business to Business Forum 2010 it in May, contact me — I will be there live blogging/tweeting the event and will be doing brief interviews and a round up on this topic for some of my live blog posts and as fodder for follow-up article on the conference. If you haven’t registered yet, click the badge below for a $200 discount. See you there!

Using Thought Leadership To Cultivate New Business

While compulsively checking Twitter this morning, I came across this tweet from @fuellines with a link to this release from ad agency new business consultant Michael Gass. The headline: “Ad Agency Survey Finds Traditional New Business Methods Aren’t Working.” The post (and report) actually are a couple of years old, and I think most ad agencies are (finally) aboard the new media train. But it was this statement from the release that really struck me:

“What seems to be revealing is the significant majority of these agencies are still relying heavily upon referrals and networking for new business and these traditional methods are not working.”

Nope. They’re sure not.

There are two things to consider, here. One, because we can no longer rely solely on referrals and networking as a conduit for business,  we are now in the position of having to actually (brace yourself) sell. Which is to say, mount a consistent and compelling campaign to get people past their fear of spending money on our services, which they already want and probably also really need.

Two, because people are so skittish about spending, they want to do business with people they can “prove” (to their boss, board, peers) are the best. Experts who have been recognized by their peers and the media as having unique insights and who have successfully solved (business, marketing technology) problems just like theirs.

Consistent and appropriate social media presence will raise your profile somewhat. But for maximum impact, social media needs to be buttressed with expert quotes, bylined articles, comments and guest posts on respected industry blogs, etc. This is expertise PR, which when done right, can result in a series of third-party endorsements that can add immeasurably to your credibility. That said, experts are grown, not stamped. Think crock pot rather than microwave.

With so much competition for business and so much less budget to go around, agencies and consultants must get in there and claim the business there is. But buyers will be much more apt to open up when you knock if they recognize the person on the other side of the door.

If you want to know more about how you can use the fruits of expertise PR to help cultivate new business, please contact me.

What are you known for?

The topic of the latest episode of “The El Show,” hosted by PR bloggers Richard Laermer and Geoff Livingston was whether the “big agency” model works any longer. It piqued my interest because of my experience working in one (DDB Chicago, 1998 – 2004). It was postulated that the model was on its way out because they are trying to be everything to everyone and that the trend is toward “boutique” agencies, specialists in a particular industry or vertical. And that being small allows an agency to focus on a “core competency” and to become “known” for something.

Yes, but. There are all kinds of reasons people (and organizations) stay general. Some see it as the most expedient route to growth. Others are easily bored. The biggest reason, however, is financial. To establish yourself as an expert, to be known for that one thing, you have to be able to say no to business that is not in your niche. And in this economy, how many people do you know that are turning down business?

If you’re reading this post, you can now claim to know one and through me, a few more (my clients). Most recently, and without batting an eyelash, (sorry, Tito Mambo) I passed on an Chicago-based opportunity to promote a big city-based event. I forwarded it to a colleague, who is still in Chicago, who lives for this kind of project and who I’m sure will rock it.

The agencies, however, have got themselves into such a financial pickle that I fear the only way they will be able to get out of it is to break apart, get lean (and real), figure out what they want to be known for, do some serious expertise PR around that and then band back together where it makes sense, for efficiency.

While we’re still (sort of) on the topic: I’m known for helping marketers and technology thought leaders raise their profile and gain recognition as industry experts.

What are you known for?