Part 2: Who to communicate your USP to? Defining Ideal Customer Profiles as a Cloud Service Provider

This is the second part of the series of articles that are covering go to market strategy of cloud providers and web hosting companies. If you missed previous article on the importance of clearly defining your USP: https://lnkd.in/eMKwgsKY

Having solidified your Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) in collaboration with Warren team and external consultants,?the next pivotal step is crafting your Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs).

This process goes beyond simply identifying potential clients; it's about understanding their pain points,?motivations,?and how your cloud services can offer tailored solutions.

Let's explore a few examples (presuming that Your Cloud Business USPs are global DC coverage and cheap prices),?each highlighting a distinct industry and need within the small business landscape:

1. Global E-commerce Platforms:

• Industry:?Retail/E-commerce
• Size:?Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs) with international customer base
• Pain Points:?Reaching customers in various geographic locations with fast website loading times,?managing costs while scaling their operations,?ensuring consistent online experience across different regions
• Why Your Cloud Business:?Your extensive global network ensures fast content delivery and a seamless user experience for customers worldwide.?Competitive pricing is attractive to SMBs looking to expand their reach while managing their budget.
• Example Companies: Bellroy (Australia-based wallet and bag retailer) Gymshark (UK-based fitness apparel brand) Knix (Canada-based intimates brand) MVMT Watches (US-based watch and accessories brand) ColourPop (US-based cosmetics brand)

2. Media Streaming Services:

• Industry:?Entertainment/Media
• Size:?Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs)
• Pain Points:?Delivering high-quality video and audio content to a global audience with minimal buffering and latency,?managing storage and bandwidth costs,?scaling infrastructure to accommodate peak usage
• Why Your Cloud Business:?Your global network of CDNs and data centers ensures fast content delivery and a smooth viewing experience.?Competitive pricing helps media companies manage the high costs associated with content delivery.
• Example Companies:

3. SaaS Companies with Global Reach:

• Industry:?Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
• Size:?Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs)
• Pain Points:?Providing reliable access to their software from anywhere in the world,?ensuring fast response times for users across different regions,?managing infrastructure costs while scaling their user base
• Why Your Cloud Business:?Your global network guarantees reliable access and fast performance for users globally.?Competitive pricing helps SaaS companies manage their infrastructure costs,?especially as they grow and expand into new markets.
• Example Companies: Asana (Project management software) Canva (Graphic design platform) Grammarly (Writing assistant tool) Calendly (Scheduling software) Zoom (Video conferencing platform)

Action Items for Defining Ideal Customer Profiles (ICP)

1. In-Depth Pain Point Research:?Conduct thorough research to uncover the specific pain points faced by potential customers within each identified industry.?Look beyond general challenges and delve into the nuances of each company's operations and growth goals.
2. Competitive Landscape Analysis:?Analyze the current cloud service providers used by the target companies. Identify their strengths and weaknesses to pinpoint where Your Cloud Business can offer a superior solution.
3. Refine ICP Descriptions:?Develop detailed ICPs for each industry,?including: Company size and revenue Geographic location(s) Technology stack and infrastructure Business goals and challenges Budget and purchasing authority
4. Create Targeted Messaging:?Develop tailored marketing messages and value propositions that resonate with each ICP's unique needs and pain points.?Highlight how Your Cloud Business’s global network and competitive pricing directly address their specific challenges.
5. Develop Case Studies and Testimonials:?Showcase successful partnerships with existing customers who fit your ICPs.?This provides social proof and demonstrates the real-world impact of Your Cloud Business’s solutions.

After you have defined your ICPs it makes sense to cross check the datasets of contact details Warren (or your technology / marketing partner) has access to. Most importantly Linkedin profiles, email addresses (with deliverability score), landlines, mobile phone numbers.

In the next article, we'll delve into the essential process of identifying Target Buyer Personas within your Ideal Customer Profiles. This will empower you to focus your sales and marketing efforts on the right individuals within the right organizations, leading to more effective campaigns and greater results.

Bonus contribution: Richard Marriott from Scaled Consulting

"We run a lot of go to markets for SaaS and service based businesses and a LOT of the success relies on the quality of the ICP research.

Interviews and qualitative research are THE best way to uncover customer pain.?They can be hard to arrange but when you alongside uncovering pain points,?use the opportunity to collect."

You can read the full article with more examples and all action items here: https://warren.io/part-2-defining-ideal-customer-profiles-icps-for-your-cloud-service-business-focusing-on-small-businesses/