Is Your Niche Too Big?

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.

Here’s an example of a 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 (a name).

There was no niche there at all. These were three businesses that didn’t belong together.

Why this matters

• 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?

Image thanks to  svilen001

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