Stop stressing about picking a niche. Do this instead.
I see it all the time: Multi-passionate entrepreneurs jump around from thing to thing, trying to follow the money to the most profitable industry. But from what I’ve seen, the most profitable way to niche is by going all in on something for the long haul, getting really well known for that before branching out.
The secret? You don’t need to pick a niche in the traditional sense. Only working with a specific type of business isn’t what’s going to get you places.
Look at picking a niche in a totally different way.
This is how I approach niching for myself and my clients. And it works.
It’s how I’ve been able to grow my business both in the numbers—to 6-figures and beyond—but also in the impact of my methods and the size of my team supporting me.
Alternative ways to picking a niche
- Niche on a personality type.
I did this. I don’t work with a specific industry, but a type of person—I don’t care what they do as long as they share similar qualities.
In my early days I worked with so many people who weren’t a good fit. Either they didn’t respect my boundaries, or our values weren’t aligned. But I got tired of that pretty quickly. I *only* wanted to work with DREAM clients and to really connect with them.
That’s when I realized I don’t care about what they do—I can learn that. I care about who they are.
I made some changes, and now I genuinely enjoy every client I work with. My target audience is business owners (often skewed to females, but not always!) who tend to fall within the following categories…
- Personal brands
- Consultants/coaches
- Course creators
- Service providers
- E-commerce owners
Industry matters less than who they are as a person. We need to click because we work so closely with all projects.
Out of the above list, I find people with specific personality traits that align with my dream client. My clients are typically:
- Motivated
- Driven
- Passionate
- Perfectionist
- Empathetic
- Action takers
My clients love to understand how things work and why. They have big dreams and are always willing to work hard and try new things—to get uncomfortable if they know it will help their business. They like seeing others succeed and support others versus competing: There’s room for everyone at the table.
The above describes my clients regardless of whether they come to the studio for done-for-you marketing and copywriting support, if they’re a coaching client, or if they’re a Biz Bar customer.
Niching down by type of person means I know the goals that my clients often have and the challenges getting in their way. Together, we strategize an action plan to get them back on track.
- Niche on a specific service or deliverable.
I did this too.
I leaned into brand messaging and website copy ONLY and that was when my business really grew. When I got rid of all the other offers and things cluttering up my business suite, I focused my energy on the important stuff.
I dug deeper instead of wider.
I was known, and still am recognized, for the way that I approach websites, and now I’ve taught my team how to Jillify too. So even though I don’t write every website word these days, it still all fits the style. This style attracts more dream clients.
All this helped on the back end of things, too. It allowed me to systemize everything so my business became hyper organized and things ran smoother. From there, it’s been easy to replicate the process for other services that we offer now, like email marketing, lead magnet creation, and launch prep.
To sum up: You don’t need to be everything for everyone.
It’s better to be polarizing because that’s how you’ll get clear on what you do and who you do it for.
- Niche for now… Then expand as you grow.
This business doesn’t need to be your only one!
Surprise—I did this too. I had an outward facing entry point to work with me and the team. Then a whole suite of services that clients can choose from BTS. I still do this, and it allows my business to evolve with me as I grow, instead of being stuck doing only one thing forever.
On the outside, my brand is totally cohesive and clients don’t see the messy bits that comes from offering a ton of different services. But we still get to add those services on as needed.
The coolest thing about this is my business doesn’t have to stay in this spot forever. As freelancers, entrepreneurs, copywriters, we get to choose what our future looks like. This is one piece in the evolution of my business, and there are so many other places that it can go from here.
So when you’re picking a niche, understand that you’re only choosing one part in your business’ growth. You get to call the shots. But stick with one thing long enough to get known for it so you can expand and shift easier from there.
Pick a niche based on a combination of the above.
Ditch the shoulds and build the business of your dreams. Create something specific to YOU. Think about what you want your life to look like inside the business and out—because that’s important, too.
I’ve seen entrepreneurs have more success combining these techniques and then making their business in line with their values, lifestyle, and goals. So take what feels in alignment with you, and forget the rest.
Remember: You call the shots. Don’t do what everyone else is doing just because everyone else is doing it.
Start with a solid foundation.
Picking a niche is only one step in the process, and getting hung up on this decision keeps so many business owners stuck and in their own way. But stop thinking about niching into an industry, and start looking at all the possibilities that come up when you niche in a way that makes more sense for you.
If you’re ready to take action—or even if you’re on the fence—I have resources for every step of the journey for you.
If you’re just getting started or need a reset, 4 Steps to Profit will help you start to think about your unique value proposition.
On the other hand, if you’ve already started and you’re ready to dig deeper into your business, Conversion Class helps you DIY your messaging and get super clear about who your audience is/what they need so you can attract those dream clients on autopilot.
