There’s a lot to be said for the appeal of one-stop-shops that offer fully integrated solutions. But there’s also a lot to be said for the power of niche.
Well, Steam Whistle beer has this saying: Do One Thing Really, Really Well.
If you think about it, doing one thing really, really well, is a huge part of building a brand because that one thing becomes a central point for your brand’s story. And that one thing is just as important for a personal brand as it is a corporate one.
For instance, Brian Solis does tech PR; Jay Grandin does video; and Shoemoney does affiliate marketing.
I do a few things. All of them related, but each of them distinct, so I’m starting to wonder: Which of these do I do better than the others?
What about you? What is it that you really, really well? What is it that you, or your agency, or your company, is known for. What is your one thing?
I do SEO pretty well but my strength is definitely in Social Media Marketing – specifically Facebook.
I see life a lot in terms of basketball. You have the role players and you have the superstars. Role players are often one dimensional, ie: Rebound, sharp shooter but even a role player, in the right system, needs to be more than one thing.
It is good to be a shooting specialist but if you can’t defend, you are a liability when the other team is in offense it is like they are playing 5 on 4.
I refuse to be a liability.
Nevertheless, I agree that it is better to be really really good about one thing rather than being a jack of all trades (but master of none)!
@Alphonse, that’s a great point about not being a liability. After all, if you only know one thing, you can’t really communicate or work with anyone else.