Target the Wanna Be’s

It struck me today that the many of the most successful business models on the web are targeted at the wanna-be’s.  Consider, the success of Urban Daddy or aSmallWorld. Are these services really being used by the elite? Hardly. The elite are on a network you and I have never heard of — if they are on one at all. Wanna-be’s on the other hand, have aspirations. They seek conduits providing them with potential. It’s the 90% striving to be the 10%.

Targeting  the wanna-be’s is also largely industry neutral; whether a huge client like Disney, or brushing shoulders with the rich and famous. Even if your end-game is a adoption by your industry’s big kahunas, marketing to the wanna-be’s is often a great entrance and testing ground.

From a monetization perspective, the reason to gear a business model at the wanna-be’s is simple: they are the people willing to spend the money. They don’t feel a sense of entitlement. The feel a sense of longing. This longing often leads wanna-be’s to spend money on products and services they feel will lead them closer to their ultimate goals.