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  • Li Vasquez-Noone

    Reply Reply January 21, 2019

    Hi Ed! I’ve been working through the Positioning Exercise as you recommended in my 90-day plan. What an eye-opener! I came up with a new target market, and I wanted to show you what I came up with and see what you think about it.

    Here’s a summary of what I came up with, and I’ll paste all the notes I took below: As I worked through the first section on Background, Knowledge, Passions and Talents, I didn’t think I’d see a lot of common themes. I’ve had a lot of different jobs in unrelated fields. But one thing that kept coming up was software and tech. I’ve worked in PC tech support, as a network administrator, a software trainer, a web programmer, I use software tools all day, I built my own WordPress website, and I’d describe myself as tech savvy.

    I have never really looked at tech or software before, because it’s been many years since I worked directly in tech, and I always thought it would be writing for the IT people. And I’m not at that level anymore. But writing about business software for the end user, the busy HR director, the manager that needs to make a decision on this software package or that one? I’m there! I was also getting hung up on the target market being “industry-specific” but after your explanation I feel much more comfortable with a broader category, that could be narrowed down later.

    So what I got out of this exercise is Business Software (office automation, project management, productivity, accounting, and so on) as a target market.

    What do you think?

    My notes are below. I don’t know how much of this you’ll want to see, feel free to skip over anything not relevant!

    Background, Knowledge, Passions Talents

    Roles: network administrator, web programmer, PC tech support, Office software trainer, mentor to new writers, blogger, social media manager, administrative support, editor, park ranger, real estate agent, customer support in printing

    Industries: Government – environmental protection, Government – defense, Insurance, Real Estate, Printing

    Topics/Subjects I know well: explaining software to the end user, starting a freelance business, copywriting, productivity, motivation, social media, winemaking

    Expertise: software tools that help small business people and freelance writers work more efficiently, starting a freelance writing business, productivity tips

    Accomplishments/Awards: spec challenge

    Degrees/Certifications: AWAI Verified Copywriter

    Writing I do well: short to medium copy, informative and helpful instead of sales-y, editorial, emails, social media

    Passionate about: helping others reach their goals, finding cool yet easy tech tools, running, fitness, nutrition

    Any other talents: held a top secret security clearance, I’m good at seeing the big picture, I’m a fast thinker, I can work under pressure (but prefer not to)

    If I inherited $20 million: I would write short to medium copy (blogs and articles etc.), I’d interview people who are insanely productive to discover their methods and write articles about how to duplicate their success to help others

    Consolidated List
    Business software companies – office automation, project management, productivity, accounting, video conferencing, social media scheduling

    Companies that offer services to freelancers (other than software)

    Media companies that offer business advice to freelancers and small businesses (inc., forbes, success, etc.)

    Business coaches, trainers, mentors

    Where I ask 3 questions about each topic on Consolidated List:

    **Business software companies – contacts: 1 that might know people in software industry, level of need: innovative, inexpensive, moderate complexity, how I feel: very good! what makes me different: tech savvy end-user, I am the customer, I used to teach programs to others, aptitude, learned software as an adult so I can empathize with the struggles of others, work on computers all day

    **Companies that offer services to freelancers (other than software) – contacts: I know several people in this industry: level of need: not very innovative, inexpensive, moderate complexity (lots of choices), how I feel: very good! what makes me different: I am the customer, I’ve worked with some of the companies, aptitude, desire to help others succeed in their freelance businesses

    **Media companies that offer business advice to freelancers/small businesses – contacts: I know people who have written for them, level of need: not innovative, inexpensive, not complex, how I feel: I enjoy the subjects but suspect the pay is low, what makes me different: I am the audience, I’m an avid reader of these sites, aptitude, desire to help others succeed by sharing this information

    **Business coaches, trainers, mentors – contacts: many, level of need: moderately innovative, can be expensive, not very complex, many coaches are also writers, how I feel: good fit, I’ve been a trainer and am a peer mentor for a group of writers and I enjoy it, what makes me different: I am the customer/audience, I’ve worked as a trainer and take lots of training so I understand both sides of the industry, aptitude, desire to help others succeed

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