A niche is a specific target market, service, or combination of the two, which you decide you will focus your marketing efforts on for a period of time. It is a way to get your marketing activities focused in a certain direction so that your marketing activities are more effective.
If you choose a particular niche, it does not mean that you won’t work for anyone else. It just means that when you do your marketing, and on all your marketing materials, you focus on that niche.
Why do I need one?
Focuses your marketing
The great thing about choosing a niche is that it gets you focused. It focuses your marketing activities so that they are more powerful and get results.
It makes you an expert. Just saying that you ‘specialize’ in something automatically makes you an expert in people’s eyes. You will be perceived as knowing more about that area than a generalist.
For example, if you say you specialize in ‘decorating downtown condominiums,’ and I have a downtown condominium or know someone with one, I will use you or recommend you over someone who just decorates.
You can make more money. Being perceived as an expert allows you to increase your rates. Statistics show that businesses with a narrow niche make more money.
It helps people refer you. Having a niche helps people refer you because they can "slot" you. They will also remember you every time they are speaking with someone in your niche. If you don’t have a niche, you are easily forgotten.
You will get more media attention. You will be more interesting to the media and when the media is writing an article about your niche, they will think of you.
Choose as your target market the people you most enjoy working with and those you get excited learning about.
Potential Niches
Based on Target Market
Based on Service Provided
Young mothers
A specific geographic location
Baby Boomers
A unique service
Seniors
Working couples with young children
Single Men
Baby Boomers’ aging/unwell parents
Prospecting for Clients
First you must specify a target customer and then decide how to find that customer.
(If your niche is a service, you will need to determine who the people are who will want that service. That will be your target market.)
Now research your target market. What will they buy? What did they buy? Where do they hang out? What do they read? What are their interests? What clubs do they join?
Below are just a few suggestions that could work in marketing to your target market.
Join organizations that are fun for you.
Take classes in things you have an interest in. You will bond with the others because you have an interest in common.
Contact clubs & associations that contain your target customer. Either join or offer to be a guest speaker.
Volunteer for a local organization that you believe in. You will meet potential clients and volunteer work is also good for the soul.
It’s who you know, so get to those ‘in the know’. Find the person who knows everyone and win them over. Tell them what you do and what you want to do.
Develop business relationships & strategic alliances. Both you and your resources will gain from the mutual exchange of referrals in addition to opportunities for co-advertising, shared presentations, and trade show partnering.
Choose your Center of Influence group and call them to ask them how you can help them. Your Center of Influence group is comprised of all the people you know who come in contact with lots of people: doctor, accountant, chiropractor, massage therapist, hair stylist, esthetician…..
Help as many people as you can. It will come back to you in referrals
Keep in touch with existing customers regularly.
Val Sharp is the founder and past president of the Canadian Re-designers Association and the author of “The Art of Redesign – 5 Simple Steps to No-Cost Redecorating”. She instructs people in starting their own interior redesign and home staging business. If you want to become a redesigner or home stager or you want more information about Val and her book, stop by www.sharpredesigns.com
