How to Succeed with a Niche with Geoff Anderson

G', day guys. This week I'm excited to have Jeff Anderson from Sonic Sight on the podcast. Now Jeff speaks my language. Now, before we get into the podcast itself, I'll tell you a bit about Jeff. He started his video production business back in 1993 and has managed to ride the waves of change within the industry for the last 28 years. He's the author of Shoot Me Now, Making videos to boost businesses and the soon to be released follow up book, Watch Me Now Leveraging video to maximize your return on investment. Now Jeff tells me that he's cracked on the code on how to have a thriving video business with repeat clients. He's got massive clarity around his marketing that has saved him thousands of dollars and time and he now has steady work and steady cash flow. So this podcast episode, we actually started recording this and it was so good we actually turned it into two episodes. So I'm really excited. We've got Jeff for two episodes. In this episode we're going to talk about the power of niche. And this is a topic that freaks a lot of filmmakers out because they think, oh my God, if I go niche I won't be able to work for other clients and it's just not the case. But I thought rather than me bang my head against the door saying it again and again again, let's hear it from someone else. And I think the way Jeff explains this is really powerful. So I. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Welcome to the Video Business Accelerator Podcast. Each week we uncover the secrets to creating a wildly successful and scalable video production business. With your host, Dan Lenny, discover how the accelerator program is transforming the lives of our members at www.videobusinessaccelerator.com. enjoy this episode.

Jeff, it's great to have you on the show. I am so excited about this episode because I feel I've been banging this drum for about the last 10 years and it's a typical one to get through to people, but the power of niching.

Thanks for having me Dan. Leah, look happy to unpack that for you today. It's something that's actually taken me quite. I've been running my business now for about 26 and a half years approximately and I've only really feel like I've cracked this nut in the last few years where I've really got it right and it's really working for me. But I actually just to give you a bit of background, I came from a commercial loans background before I started my first business and so while I was there I was Learning all about what makes a great business. And one of the things I learned was to have a diverse client base. So I was really struggling with the concept of niching for quite a long time. But I've kind of recognized that you can still have a diverse client base when you're niching just means you don't have all your eggs in one basket.

So in terms of like the biggest fear I have, people articulate to me about niching as a video production company is, but if I niche, wouldn't I exclude all these other clients? If I go down a particular route, let's say I focus on manufacturing, all my other clients won't want to work with me anymore. Have you found that to be the case and did you have those similar anxieties?

By the time I got around to it, I had a bit more runs on the board, I had a bit more awareness of it and what I did was I didn't. So I'm now nation with private schools. And that came about because I was sending my children to private schools a few years ago and I looked at how much I was paying and I literally got a coaster out at the pub and I did a quick calculation. I worked out, oh my God, these are really like big dollar businesses. Every year they're turning over 30, 40, $50 million and I thought I could help them spend that budget. So that was what so. But I'd already been working with schools in the past. They were part of my client base. I'd done videos for them over the preceding 15, 20 years. So that was, I already had some, some content around that. But I thought, yeah, I'm going to focus on that. But at the same time I was also focusing on the export market, I was also focusing on government agencies and I was also focusing on the not for profit spec sector. So although I was giving attention to the schools, I wasn't saying that's all I'm going to be doing. But what happened over the following years is that really bubbled to the top. That was the one where I was getting the most traction, I was getting the most engagement and it was easier then for me to commit to that more. But at the same time I'm still, you know, this week I put a tender out for a government job. I still get calls for corporate stuff. I'm doing stuff with Woolworths. I'm not saying no to those other jobs because just because I'm outwardly focusing on the schools as far as they're concerned, I'm still sonic side. I'M still available to do their productions when they need them. And that's the thing. Just because you're choosing one thing doesn't mean you have to say no to another. Having said that, there are things now that I just say no to, where it's like, you know what? That's not really a good fit for my business. That's not going to satisfy me. That's not going to get a good return on investment. That's not where our value really is. So part of the value of niching is it gives you so much more clarity on what to do with your time and energy and where to get the next job from, where to get the next client from. I find. Hope you don't mind me talking and talking. I see you nodding there, but I've got lots to share. But I find people get really busy with social media. They're like, oh, let's send the message out. Let's tell lots of people about it. And I see it as just being busy, but not actually being effective. This week I thought, right, I actually need to keep the treadmill going of these school clients. So what do I do? I'm not going to put a whole lot of social media posts up. I'm going to pick up the phone and ring this particular school that I haven't yet had a contact with and see if I can engage with them and talk to them about my service. So my marketing for the week was done with one phone call or I pick it up. She says, how did you find me? I said, well, I looked up on LinkedIn, see who was involved in marketing at your school. And she goes, oh, okay, fair enough. And then she said, look, we've already working with somebody. I said, well, look, this is what we do, and blah, blah, blah. And she goes, oh, okay, okay. I unpacked it a bit more and told her a little bit. And she goes, do you work with any schools in our area? I said, yeah, what about those ones? She goes, oh, did you do that video for them? I said, yeah, I did. And she goes, oh, great. So the beauty of niching is it just clears everything up for you. You've got so much more clarity on what you need to do and who you need to talk to. Because otherwise you're trying to do it for everyone, for everything, and you're bouncing around, you're sending messages out everywhere. But when you know, okay, these are my ideal clients, it's so much easier to track them down or you'll know, okay, who do I know that knows that person I need to speak to because now I've got clarity about who I need to be, who do I need to be engaging with now?

It's so fascinating. I was having a conversation with someone just the other day and referencing the podcast. I'd listen to you on another show where you started introducing this whole notion. And this guy's working with some private schools in Edinburgh, where I'm from. And I was mentioning this and he said, oh, I'd be really worried because, you know, I don't think this school would be very happy if I was doing the videos for the other school. Have you found any challenges around working with multiple schools in the same vicinity? And how do you handle that?

Okay, that's a great question. It's a double sided sword with that double edged sword, double sided coin. But what you've got there is you've got credibility because you are working with known brands in the sector. So they look at you and they say, oh wow, well, you're working for that school and that school. Oh, you must be good. We can trust that we can make a safe purchase when we go with you because you've got the credibility in the sector. The challenge we have is there's obviously IP that we need to protect when we're dealing with different schools that we don't share across the platforms. We're making videos, so it's all in the marketplace anyway. People are seeing what we're doing and it's going out to market. So we do then become perceived as an expert in the field. One of the other challenges though with it is a creative challenge because we'll be making a sports video for a school or performing arts videos for a school and another school and another school, another school. And we've got to find different ways of making the same sort of video. So they're all saying, oh look, we want to showcase our performing arts. It's like, okay, how do we do that differently with this school than we've done with this other school? So that from a creative point of view is actually quite exciting because you can't rely on just regurgitating the same thing that looks like, you know, and they'll say, we don't want one that looks like that school because we want ours to be different. You go, fair enough. Which then those limitations breeds creativity. So that, that has the, you know, the plus and minus. But I think overall what happens is you're perceived to be an expert, you're perceived to be somebody who understands the market, who understands the issues, who understands the problems and can solve it for them because you're dealing in that space all the time.

This is such a, such a wonderful point because I use the analogy GPS versus specialists. You know, when you go and have an ankle surgery, you don't go to your gp, your GP refer you to a specialist and the specialist usually charges considerably more per hour for a consultation than a GP. Have you found after, you know, almost 30 years of making videos professionally for businesses, have you found that by no niching you've been able to increase your chargeable rates as a result of becoming an expert, an authority?

We'll unpack the packages in the next episode, but actually what I've done is, more importantly, I found a solution which has given me a steady cash flow. Because as any small business know, and I know you reference the E myth a lot on your show, but that roller coaster ride of a small business where you've, you've busy, you've got the money coming in, you're too busy, you don't need to market or you don't have time to market and then you're suddenly quiet, you've got no money coming in, you've got no jobs coming in, you got to get on that marketing treadmill again and get the next job in, then you're busy again, it's great. And then you don't market again. And then just so it goes. What I've managed to do is to flatten that cash flow in a positive direction, but I'm doing it by offering some really good value products for our clients. So there is certainly an opportunity to charge more. But I'm actually, I'm in the business of a lifestyle business. I want to enjoy the ride, so I'm not out to. I'm more interested in having a good, solid, continual cash flow than just too much budget. That's, you know, that makes, you know, that can be a roadblock for some people. But I'll talk about packages later, about how easy they've been.

Yeah, no, we'll do that. Certainly in the next step, we're going to tease the audience with a. What's coming next?

I can't wait.

And I know it's exciting. So you've written a couple of books and you've got some great ebooks on your website and downloadable checklists and the likes. How important has that been in terms of having a marketing asset? And I think you went to, you sponsored, didn't you sponsor some sort of event where you gave your book away and that became a great lead magnet for your industry.

Can you explore that event? It relates very much to this niche, which is the private school. So there's an association that I'm now a member of and I'm a sponsor of. I'm actually now they've asked me to be on their committee and their conference committee. So I'm very much entrenched with them and their membership are the exact people I need to speak to at the schools. They're the marketing managers, the fundraising managers, the alumni managers, the enrolments managers. And it couldn't be more of a sweet spot for my ideal market. So that's worked out really well for me and that's what I would encourage somebody if they are looking to niche into a market. There's a few things that I think you want to think about. One is does your niche actually have the budget to support your productions? Because there's no point, you know, there's lots of people who can use video and can benefit from them, but if they can't afford to pay you what you're worth and what you need and to make it a viable business for you, perhaps you need to work that out before you entrench yourself too heavily into that opportunity. So that was what worked for me. I thought, yep, no, the schools have got budget and that that's paid off. And then the other thing that is get involved with an association. You'll find that pretty much for any niche you can think of, there is an association that goes with it. So whether it's, you know, if you're looking at exporting, you know, there's a whole lot of people who need video content to showcase their products and services to their international markets. It's ideal. There'll be industries associated with that or there'll be chambers of commerce associated with like the French Australia Chamber of Commerce or the USA Australia Chamber of Commerce. Get involved in that association and also see it as a long term commitment. You don't expect it to happen the first month, first year even keep turning up over time, over years, build up those relationships, build up that credibility, build up that trust by working with those people so that you're the go to person that they think of. But that association has been a real critical thing with me. It's just opened the doors for me where I'm now getting referred by other members within the association or people who. I had one person who joined a school as a marketing manager, she'd been out of the association for years. She rang up one of her contacts and said, hey, who's doing video that you know of. And she said, yep, go and talk to Jeff at Sonic site. He's doing it. He's really, you know, doing all the stuff for us. So, yeah, that's. And that's. That's the other value of niching is those referral opportunities so people get to trust you and then think of you be. Because you're the one who keeps showing up in all these conversations at these events. So as a sponsor of this association and as a member, I turn up to as many events as possible just to be seen. And the number of times that's, you know, it just builds those relationships and that trust. And people, you know, keep having conversations with you. You don't need to be selling. That's the other thing. By being there, you're not having to sell yourself because you're just showing up. They get to know who you are, they know what you do, and they logically think, oh, yep, videos, Jeff. That's who we talk to.

And how much impact has having written a book been for you in marketing Sonic site?

Yes. That was a question you asked before, wasn't it? Thank you.

That's okay. That's okay. I'm just here to prompt. This is fascinating stuff. So I'm loving this.

It's been great. It's been a real credibility winner for me. And I wrote my first book, Ship Me now, about six years ago when the whole energy around video production was shifting, where a lot more people were getting involved with it. And so it was an ideal timing. And that book was all about how to make videos, the sort of thing. So I unpacked 20 years of experience about what you need to know if you're going to make videos. Because I saw more and more people were doing it, and I thought, look, if you want to do it yourself, fine, but read this book and get some tips on things you can. Mistakes you can avoid, basically, or things you need to think about to get it right. So having that book at the conference was a great credibility winner. And people came up to me afterwards and said, look, I got your book in my goodies bag. I threw out everything else because it was all these pamphlets and stuff. But I kept your book because it's that tangible, valuable item that people trust, and it's such a credibility ringer. I once had this chat with this guy from a government agency, and he rang me up and he said, oh, look, I've got a copy of your book and we need to make a video. It's a $25,000 budget, are you interested in that? And I said, yeah, I'd be happy to talk to you about that. So I went and met with him and he said, oh, but by the way, I haven't read it. And I said, well, no problem, thanks for buying it, but you can speak to the author, that's fine. So I went and met with him and he told me what he needed. I said, okay. And I asked what I thought was actually a very good question. I said, what would you require for a winning bid? What are you looking for? And he said, well, I know you can do it because you're published. And I thought, but you haven't even read it. But it's that amazing credibility, you are then seen as an expert. I mean, I guess if you write a book and you unpack a whole lot of knowledge, you do some research, you put it all together, you're putting yourself out there as somebody who's prepared to have an opinion and step up. So yeah, look, it's certainly, it's funny actually. At schools I'll often come across principals and I'll give them a copy of my book and I can see it in their eye thinking, I always meant to write a book but I haven't done it. And it's like that sort of thing. So yeah, it's a great credibility. And I've just written the second book which is just going off to the printers in the next week or so. So that's called Watch Me Now. So it's a follow up to Shoot Me Now. And this one's more about how to leverage the videos. Because what I'm seeing people doing is making great videos but not taking advantage of them, not leveraging them as well as they should, not getting them out to the marketplace and not getting them to convert for them. So this book is step two. Step one is how to make a video. Step two is, well, what do you do with it once you've got it? And so I thought for me, the past book was six years old. I thought, look, it's, I felt a bit dodgy hanging out, hanging out this old book. I thought it's time to come up with a new one. So that'll be out in the next few months.

Fantastic. And I noticed on your website you've got free video marketing strategy downloads, you've got ebooks, which is 30 types of videos you can make to build Your own business, 30 ways to maximize your video return on investment, 30 ways to share your videos. How are those received? Because for a lot of people the Idea of writing a book is daunting. And my first book took me six months to write. My second book took me two months. My third book took me two weeks. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. But you can actually have almost the same impact in an e book format. How have you found that has helped with your lead generation and lead nurture?

Look, it's been good. I do it more as a value add for my clients. I mean I direct people to it and when they do download those, it takes them to a. I've got an online course which I haven't really been leveraging very well, but it's sitting there in the background. So when people download those lists, they can then go to a page which says, thanks for downloading. You'll get those in a few minutes. In the meantime, here's a quick video which is a pitch video for my online course. And so some people watch that and then they pay 100 bucks or something to do that. So it's a bit of a funnel for those. But mostly it's yeah, it's a value add for people. And I'd encourage your listeners to go and grab it because 30 types of videos your business can make might give them a bit of inspiration for different ideas they can pitch to their clients in terms of video productions. But also the 30 Ways to Share your videos is really useful in terms of helping my clients after they've made a video, I send that off to them as part of the wrapping up process. Look, now that you've done your video great, this is what you need to do to download it. And here's a list of 30 things you should be thinking about in terms of getting it out to the marketplace as easily as possible. So it's yeah, it works in a combination of ways, but it's certainly, it's seen to be, you know, when I present and stuff, I'll refer people to it and encourage them to go and grab them. I don't do a heavy, you know, I send them some emails afterwards. I'm hopeless at doing, you know, the asking for a sale afterwards. But it just give them more tips and stuff. For me, I struggled with a long time with actually newsletters even getting out to giving information out people because I really felt like it would be a pushy sales message. But when I shifted to thinking, well, actually if I make it just about giving out helpful advice, then I was a lot more comfortable with it. So that's kind of my approach is just helping people and then along the way building I guess trust and credibility from that.

I read a statistic a while ago and it said something, I'm going to paraphrase, it was like 80%, 73% of buyers will likely purchase from the first person who provided the most value. And I think that with books and ebooks and information, we're actually educating clients on video. And oftentimes in the video industry we're very ensconced in 4K or gimbals or the technology and a lot of times people can be quite intimidated. So do you find that by educating clients, what kind of feedback do you get on that? Is that something you find actually helps to build a longer term relationship?

Look, absolutely. I think you also need to appreciate what are the clients need because sometimes they just want it sold for them. They actually don't want to know. Some people are very grateful and they go, oh yeah, this is really helpful. Other people just like, oh yeah, we just want it done, you know. But what I found though, with those assets up on the, on the website.

It'S just part of the overall branding. It builds credibility, it does build trust and you do, you know, and it's really easy then to just pull them out and email to somebody if they need it, just. And they, you know, it certainly does help with the credibility in the brand.

And just before we wrap this episode up, you talked a bit there about, you know, the new book. Are you seeing clients wanting you to help them with amplification and distribution of the videos? Because that's something that's becoming quite commonplace. I'm seeing increasing numbers of people questioning whether or not they should be offering their clients a pseudo marketing service. Is that what, what the book is about or is there something else?

Look, it does cover a lot of that sort of stuff and I do case studies with suppliers who specialise in that space and it's a good question. Something I'm still struggling with is to do we sort of move over to an agencies type model where we're helping with that. My gut feeling is I prefer to specialize in what I'm comfortable with, where our value is and stick with that and then direct them to partners who can provide those services at that specialist level, which is what we've done in the past. I don't look for commissions or anything. I just refer people that I can trust and let them look after our clients that way.

Jeff, this is fabulous. Listen, we're going to wrap this episode up here, but we are going to come back to you next week and discuss the secret sauce to this whole new world of smooth cash flow. So stay tuned folks.

Thanks, Dan.

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