Find a Group of People
Before you can build a successful business, you need to identify your target audience. And not just any audience, but a group of people who are your biggest fans – your “superfans.” These are the people who are so passionate about your brand that they have made it a part of their identity and daily life. They will not only buy your product or service, but they will also talk about you online and offline, recommend you to their friends and family, and participate in a community of like-minded enthusiasts.
One of the best ways to identify your superfans is to focus on a niche market. Find a group of people with a common interest, need, or problem that your business can solve. Kevin Kelly, a technology writer and founder of Wired magazine, calls this group your “1000 true fans.” Pat Flynn, an entrepreneur and author, calls them your “superfans.” Whatever you call them, these are the people who will be your most loyal customers and your best marketing tool. They will talk about you and your products in your vocabulary, online and offline.
Oki Social has a strong focus on building a strong community. We don’t brag about our designs and products. Instead, we focus on bringing people together around the business by hosting events and creating opportunities for local artists on Okinawa. As a result, we have built a group of superfans who love to support local businesses speically artists in their community.
Lock on to a phrase
Once you’ve identified your superfans, it’s time to lock on to a word or phrase encapsulating your business. This could be a problem you solve, a benefit you provide, or a unique selling proposition that sets you apart from the competition. For example, if your business is about helping people quit smoking, you might focus on the phrase “quit smoking” until it becomes synonymous with your brand.
The idea is to keep repeating your keyword or phrase until it becomes ingrained in people’s minds. This is how brands like Kleenex and Band-Aid have become so ubiquitous – they have become the go-to word for a specific product or service.
Oki Social delivers a unique value, and I have been repeating that since the beginning – Okinawa Focused Arts & Gifts. I am happy to see that within our fan base when they think Okinawa art, they think Oki Social. This doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. The key for business owners is to show up. You don’t have to make a big impact each time, but you gonna show up. The more frequently you appear and repeat what you do in every appearance, the more likely you will be remembered. YouTubers understand that their focus should be publishing consistently instead of aiming for that million-view video. You can’t engineer a hit video. It is must easier you show up consistently so one of your videos may become the next million-views video.
Set the Right Price
Finally, you need to set the right price for your product or service. This is where you need to consider what you make, who it’s for, and how desperately those people want to solve the problem you offer to solve for them. If you’ve identified your superfans correctly, they should be willing to pay a premium for your product or service.
On the other hand, if you set the price too high, you risk alienating your target audience. If your target audience is between 20 and 35, for example, you need to be careful. A fifteen-year gap could be the distance betweent two generations.