I see a lot of shoddy marketing work out there.
People are offering too many services, not doing what they promised, not actually getting results, and then obfuscating the entire situation.
I’m not saying it’s intentional or malicious, but it happens a lot. Here’s a recent example, and I’ve seen far worse.
Marketing, like many industries, is unregulated. Which means anybody can do it. Which means finding quality work out there is not easy.
So when I say it’s good to specialize, I mean finding an industry and/or a small set of core services to offer that you can do excellent work at.
Sure, you can branch out to other industries. You can offer tangential services. I understand the need to do that and it can be done well sometimes.
In fact, I did that for a long time with my agency before I specialized. But looking back, my agency work wasn’t always great, either.
At least, not the stuff outside of my core competency that I should have never offered.
As an advisor, I sit on the client side of a lot of work product. I can tell you first-hand that those who specialize tend to be hired faster, paid more, and do better work.
If you’re reading this, you’re already delivering great work for your clients. This isn’t about you.
It’s about the industry. It’s about striving for excellence.
It’s your reminder that success comes from doing less, not more.