3-4 unrelated verticals instead of a single vertical?

    CQ

    Corey Quinn

    Founder, Deep Specialization™

    Here's my response

    I received this question today and thought you might benefit from my response.

    Question: What if an agency narrowed down to 3-4 unrelated verticals instead of a single vertical?

    My response: You need to have a sales plan for each vertical that includes three separate domains.

    Domain one: Inbound

    This is ensuring your brand, message, and offer are in front of your buyers when they are actively shopping. Common channels are PPC, YouTube, Podcasts, and SEO.

    Domain two: Gift-Based Outbound

    This is sending gifts as a first touch before a cold call to warm up your high-value leads.

    Domain three: Relationship-Based Marketing

    This is going into their conferences, speaking on their stages, and building relationships with their mavens.

    Here's the thing...

    You scale growth by combining all three domains in a vertical market:  Inbound + Gift-Based Outbound + Relationship-Based Marketing. 

    Most agencies do a little bit of Inbound but no Gift-Based Outbound and don't build direct relationships with mavens.

    The result?

    They have a much harder time building a reputation in any one vertical because they're not creating enough presence or awareness.

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    CQ

    About Corey Quinn

    Founder, Deep Specialization™

    Corey helps founder-led agencies scale through Deep Specialization™ and programmatic M&A. Former CMO of Scorpion ($20M to $200M). Author of "Anyone, Not Everyone."

    “Is this a good fit for my agency?”

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    You’re likely a strong fit if:

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    • You want to lead your market, not blend into it
    • You’re thinking about long-term scale, not short-term tactics
    • You want a growth engine that doesn’t rely on you
    • You value clarity over complexity
    • You’re open to advanced growth levers, including acquisitions
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