Trying to sell to an audience that’s too small can kill your business before it starts. Hamster shoes, anyone?
Too big, or too varied a niche can be a problem too.
Trying to reach too many people (or two entirely different groups of people can sink your marketing before it starts.
A business marketing niche that’s too big
Just the other day, someone wanted a business name for a company she was putting together with two friends. She was having a lot of trouble finding a good name, and asked for help.
Each of them had a different specialty. They were: fitness, safety training (first aid and construction), and weddings.
Several people (including me) begged her to reconsider. We said, that’s three businesses, not one. Split them up. She left, disappointed that she hadn’t gotten what she wanted.
Why this business niche isn’t a niche
- it confuses prospects – the three businesses are so different, people will wonder how you can be good at any of them
- It may drive people away – do people looking for a wedding really want to see smelly people working out in a gym?
- They’ll need three marketing plans, three brochures, three sales pitches on the web site, and three sets of audiences to build
A real niche marketing strategy
- Picks a specific business to be in (say the safety training)
- Narrows that down further (maybe safety training on construction sites)
- Chooses a specific problem in that niche (safety training for new workers on commercial construction sites)
- Addresses marketing, web, business cards, ads, etc. to the people in that niche and only the people in that niche.
Not everybody, just your tribe. The blue guys.
If you really want to be in two or three different businesses, maybe you need two different web sites.
Tomorrow, can your niche afford you?
Good tips and points. I’ve been writing and my niche has created itself. Took some pulling from a life coach friend of mine, but I think I’ve finally put my finger on it.
Now, I have to sell it…. About page, eBook, what else?
If you write about lots of stuff, but have chosen your niche to be something specific, how do you convey the niche. i.e. If you blog about life (like most bloggers) but your goal is to, say, get everyone thinking more creatively, is the only place to convey that in your eBooks and About page?
Do you have a post (or will you write one) on how to convey your niche, even if it isn’t the only thing about which you write?
Sure, I have a free ebook about niche marketing, which you can get here:
Earn More With Niche Marketing
You announce your niche with your tagline, the types of posts you write, the people you talk about when you write them, and what you say about yourself when people ask what you do. For example, posts about how accountants can be more creative vs. encouraging your child to be creative.