Should you Find a Niche?
All across the web, we hear: “niche down,” “You have to find your niche,” and “First you must figure out your specific target audience!” At face value, it doesn’t seem like bad advice. Though, is it really true? Do we need to put ourselves into a small box from the get-go? Let’s explore the early stages of defining your niche and how we can make the process more inclusive for you and your business.
What is a Niche?
First things first — let’s define this “niche” thing! In the freelance or business world at large, a niche is just a specific focus where you can bring unique value. You could think of this as a type of service you offer, the industry you work in, or the audience you appeal to. Typically, the benefit to finding your niche is standing out from the crowd around you and having strong messaging when defining your business and what problems it solves in the world. An example of a niche would be a graphic designer focusing on package design. To take it a step further, they could focus on package design for environmentally friendly companies!
The Actual First Steps
Before we can determine what niche we want to put ourselves into, we have a few considerations to make. These considerations are personal to you! Which is why you can’t be told what niche to enter. It all depends on your interests, skills, strengths, and curiosities! Grab a pen and paper — we are about to make some lists!
What are your interests and strengths?
Start by listing the areas you’re passionate about and your core skills. Include any industries or topics you’re particularly interested in. If you’re unsure, reflect on past projects or hobbies to identify what you enjoy most!
What is the market demand?
Not every passion has a built-in demand. Once you have a list of potential niches, do a bit of market research. Look for:
Competitors: Are others offering similar services? A little competition can mean there’s demand, but ensure your niche isn’t already saturated.
Client Needs: Browse forums, LinkedIn, or job boards to see if businesses are seeking the services you want to offer.
Testing different routes
Rather than fully committing to a single niche, consider testing a few options first. This could mean taking on smaller projects or creating content tailored to each niche to see where you get the best response.
Bonus: Identify the skills you need to develop to take on some of the interests you have. This does not need to be the main priority on your list, but it is good to have goals to strive for in the future!
Pros + Cons fo Niching Down
Since this is a pretty debatable topic, we will leave you with a few pros and cons to both!
Pros:
By focusing on a niche, you can develop deeper expertise in a specific area, making it easier to build a reputation as a go-to expert.
When you know exactly who you’re speaking to, creating targeted marketing messages becomes simpler, which can make your outreach efforts more effective.
Serving a specific audience can help you understand and cater to their unique needs, leading to better client relationships and repeat business.
Cons:
A highly specific niche may feel limiting, especially if it’s too narrow or if demand in that area decreases over time.
Doing the same type of work repeatedly can become monotonous, leading to burnout if you don’t continue exploring your broader interests.
Some freelancers worry they might miss opportunities outside their niche, especially if they’re just starting and are open to exploring different types of projects.
Parting Thought
Our number one piece of advice when it comes to niching: do not get caught up in the “what-ifs.” You have time to explore various avenues and learn new skills. Most of the time, we pivot and change the type of work or the industry we want to work in. It is completely normal to do so! The beginning is about placing an educated bet on what you are interested in, what you are good at, and what the market needs.
And just for you, we’ve built a How To Niche yourself worksheet template, so you can start to jot down all your ideas. Feel free to do this digitally or print it physically!
