When Did Exclusion Marketing Become Cool? And Why?

I'm not sure when it started, but it has become cool and trendy in on-line circles to promote on the basis of exclusion. There's much talk about recruiting tribes of like-minded people and being as clear about who your offerings aren't for, as you are about who they are for.

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'm not sure I understand the logic. It seems a negative way to market anything.

Imagine if I marketed my real estate business only to people like me.

"We sell and rent properties to people who are passionate about the island, who share our views about the future of the place and who are interested in the long term, sustainable development of tourism here."

I'm sure we'd end up with amazingly good friends and some loyal fans if we did that. But we'd probably sell 10 houses a year, and we'd be bankrupt. Because we're excluding everybody else.

Our philosophy is simple - whoever you are, if we can help, we will. If we can sell or rent you a property, we will.

The same applies to the travel blog. I don't care if you're a school kid in Ghana, or a CEO in Greece - if we can help you with any information you need about the island, we're here for you. Sure, we're better at some things than others (sports stuff for example) but we don't seek to turn other potential readers and clients away.

So where has this obsession to exclude readers and customers in on-line businesses come from?

Here's where I am:

If you think I can help or advise you with your blogging or any other on-line business, then stick around. You don't have to think like me, you don't have to share my values, you don't need to have anything in common with me. Feel free to consume the content, email me your questions and by all means buy my products. They're specially designed to be for everyone.

What are your thoughts? Can you see the logic of exclusion marketing? If so, help me to understand it.

Other good, but totally unrelated posts:

1/ Eight barter tips for bloggers

2/ Inspired by Winston Churchill

3/ Overcoming negativity