Renegade Personas: Finding Untapped ICPs to Grow Faster

Renegade Personas: Finding Untapped ICPs to Grow Faster

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Renegade Personas: Finding Untapped ICPs to Grow Faster

Most marketers focus so hard on their Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) that they don’t take time to ask, “Is there anyone else who’d love what we offer?” Chasing only the usual buyer types might feel safe, but it could be holding you back from faster growth. If you stop and look a little to the side, you might find a group of people who don’t match your current ICP—but could become valuable customers.

This is where the idea of “renegade personas” comes in. These are people or businesses outside your usual audience but still a great fit for your product or service. For example, maybe you’ve been marketing project management tools only to tech startups, but a small marketing agency could benefit from it just as much. Maybe even more. You just haven’t been looking in that direction yet.

Start your search for these groups by asking some simple questions: Who is actually buying right now, even if they don’t fit our original profile? Are there industries or job roles showing interest that we didn’t expect? One helpful (and easy) tip is to talk to your sales and support teams—they usually have solid info on who's reaching out. Tools like routecanal.com can also give a clear picture of the types of visitors checking out your website.

Next, try out small campaigns speaking directly to these “off-the-path” audiences. You don’t have to go all in—just test messages, look at the results, and go from there. If something clicks, you’ve discovered a new group to focus on. Keep in mind, these people often have different needs, so your usual pitch might not work. Listen and learn from what they ask and how they talk about their problems.

Taking a fresh look at your customer base doesn’t mean throwing everything out. It means being open to hidden chances that could help you grow. It’s easy to overlook them when you’ve got your head down in your existing playbook.

Finding renegade personas isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being curious, flexible, and willing to try something new. Growth often comes from places you didn’t expect—but you have to look to see them.