Specialization

Would you rather buy running shoes at JC Penny or a Nike Store?

History shows that over time, everything in the Capitalist machine becomes increasingly specialized.

If a decade ago “digital marketing specialist” was an actual job description, try saying that today and it will mean absolutely nothing, because “specialist at what?” would be the commonsense response;

Back then, digital marketing was a narrow enough field to be a specialist. Today that simply won’t cut it.

Are you a PPC specialist?

Oh you are? Does that mean Google Ads? Facebook? LinkedIn? Twitter?

Are you an SEO specialist?

Oh you are? Are you a specialist at technical SEO? Content Strategy? UI/UX?

There’s simply too much data and information out there. So when consumers are looking for something specific – they will always prefer going to the expert. But precisely because there’s too much data and information, being an expert at everything is impossible.

If your goal is to differentiate yourself from the crowd professionaly, you are better off picking and choosing something that makes you unique. Something that makes you special. A specialty:)

And even if you can occasionally do everything, you most certainly can’t specialize at everything. Because everything is simply too much.

For the above reasons there are entire agencies today that do focus on a single problem or service – some specialize at running Google Ads campaigns, some at influencer marketing, some at Kickstarter campaigns…

As long as there is a large enough audience looking for what you do – no specialization is too narrow. Specialization will make you an expert and your audience prefers experts.

Important reminder: there’s a difference between being viewed as an expert and actually being an expert. The former is your value proposition, your positioning statement, your promise. The latter is about delivering the goods.

One without the other won’t do you much good.

Your customers are not buying your product or service. They are buying your solution to a problem.

Whether you realize it or not – you are a professional problem solver.

Focus on the problem you solve. Learn and get better. Practice explaining “why you”.