Thor: The Dark World
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Toy Story 2
What do they all have in common?
They’re all sequels to smash hit movies — billion dollar franchises, pouring tons of money into Hollywood studios and actor’s pockets.
What do sequels have to do with YOUR business?
Lots. And here’s why:
Hollywood execs LOVE producing sequels, because they’re extremely likely to turn a profit.
Sequels take a proven concept + build on it — continuing the action with new characters and a new setting, while keeping the same loveable heroes, styling and overall world.
Sequels allow audiences to “grow along” with the story — getting increasingly invested in the storyline, to a fanatical degree. (Remember when the final Harry Potter movie came out? Millions of wannabe wizards wept tears of grief, to see it all come to an end.)
I wish more small business owners would take a cue from Hollywood execs + “sequel-ize” their products + services, because there’s an unfortunate pattern I keep seeing, over and over again.
That pattern? It goes something like this:
You create an offering. It sells REALLY well. You get excited + start bubbling over with creativity, then decide to create something radically different … and it’s a box office flop.
The big mistake? You latched onto what you felt “inspired” to create next, rather than what your audience actually wanted + needed.
(Just imagine if J.K. Rowling had said, “You know what? I think one Harry Potter movie is enough. We’re good, right? Let’s move on to something else!” Total audience RIOT.)
Here’s how to sequel-ize your offerings, the smart way. (I’ll use two business examples.)
If you’re a …
Fitness Expert
And you launch a successful …
DVD on how to get killer abs in 5 minutes a day
Your sequel might be a …
DVD on how to get toned arms in 5 minutes a day
Not a …
DVD on ballroom dancing
(See how it works? Another example…)
If you’re a …
Copywriter
And you launch a successful …
Service to make client’s bios sparkle off the page
Your sequel might be a …
Service where you take that original bio + create multiple versions that your client can use for media appearances, speaking gigs and when talking to friends and family.
Not a …
Collection of song lyrics + poetry
Now, this doesn’t mean that you’re going to be cranking out sequels, forever! Eventually, you can shift into a different direction, introduce surprising new ideas, or reinvent your business, completely.
But to capitalize off the excitement and buzz of your last smash success — and give your clients what they’re actually hungry for — look at what’s already working, and create the next logical step in the sequence.