Small Agency, Big Thinkers
If you’re reading this blog post, you might be a lone entrepreneur, a start-up, a go-getter or a small business. And you’re probably trying to figure out how you can round the first half of the year, then sprint into the second — and into the black, culminating in an inspirational, year-end holiday bash.
If so, you’ve probably been looking at spreadsheets and projections for too many days and weeks, so I suggest you take a break and rent last year’s blockbuster “Ant-Man.” (You can also catch the title character in the newly released “Captain America: Civil War.”) The flick may give your business the super jolt it needs.
To miniaturize the storyline: Scott Lang is a burglar and an ex-con who gets lured in by Dr. Hank Pym to first steal and then don the shrinking Ant-Man suit, providing him tiny size but extraordinary strength so he can save the world.
I know what you’re thinking. How is this important to me and how does it affect my bottom line? Well, try this analysis on for size.
Do you face an army of much larger competitors? Is your small size and modest ad budget keeping you from using all the potential marketing strength at your disposal? Well, here are a few tips derived from the flick.
Tips from Ant-Man for your Small Business
- In order to stand out among a sea of competitors, you need to use all of your undersized strength and aim it at the most vital target market that you know you can move.
- Find a narrow area, a niche that your bigger competitors don’t even see, can’t bother with or choose to ignore — and stick to it.
- Create, brand and promote one simple message that will motivate your customers, and focus your energy on them.
- Then narrow your sights even further and ask yourself how can I micro-pinpoint them by income or occupation.
- Zero in on when your audience is most motivated to act on your message and when you can dominate.
In “Ant-Man,” Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) also has many allies. In fact, they’re actual ants – an army of them that he calls forth when he’s in need or in trouble.
Who are your allies? How many do you have? In today’s world, even if you’re a small company or a start-up, there’s little excuse not to have unlimited access to an army of like-minded team members via LinkedIn.
But even with those allies in place, remember your strength lies in keeping your message tight and aimed like a laser on the consumer. You may be small, but that size can be an advantage, as you’ll seem even bigger because your power has been magnified exponentially.
