Buying and selling products or services online has never been easier or more accessible—pretty much anyone can do it! But this also means that the competition is very high, and customers are likely overwhelmed with options.
So how do you break through all that competition and reach your ideal customers?
In this entry, we will talk about 5 Simple Steps to Help Find Your Niche so that you can get started creating products that sell!
Hey, my name is Trish! Welcome to The Design Diary. I help beginner designers like yourself build their freelance business by providing valuable tips and tricks, inspiration and resources that I have curated through industry research and professional experiences. You can learn more about me here (if you want).
Are you an aspiring solopreneur looking to set out in the big wide world of online business? Or maybe you are a beginner designer in pursuit of a little professional direction? Where do you start?
In this entry, I want to talk to you about the first steps you should be taking in your freelance journey. Let’s talk about ‘5 Simple Steps to Help Find Your Niche.’
Let’s get started! First, we will define what, exactly, a niche is!
Merriam-Webster defines a niche as:
i. A job, activity, etc. that is very suitable for someone, OR
ii. The situation in which a business’s products or services can succeed by being sold to a particular group of people.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/niche
But what does that even mean?
Well, let’s use the graphic design profession as an example.
Let’s say you are a fine dining restaurant owner in California looking for a graphic designer to redesign your logo. You do some research and find two graphic designers in your area with an equal amount of experience under their belts.
The first designer offers a broad range of services, including website design, editorial design, logo design and much more.
The second designer specializes exclusively in logo design.
Now, you know both designers could likely work on your project and do it well, but out of the two, which one would you trust more to handle your logo redesign?
My guess is you chose the graphic designer that specializes in logo design—and you would be right!
The only thing that would top this scenario would be if the restaurant owner found a graphic designer that specialized exclusively in logo designs for fine dining restaurants in California. This is the perfect example of what is called “niching down.”
See the example below for a more visual breakdown.
There is no limit to how specific you can get with your product or service offerings, and having a narrow focus such as this will allow you to market yourself as an authority figure in your industry.
You cannot be all things to all people (trust me, I have tried). If you want your business to succeed, you have to get specific. Focus on the value that you, and only you, can provide.
So, without further ado, here are 5 simple steps to help find your niche so that you can start creating success for your business!
Defining your niche is about realizing your passion and delving into what you like and how you spend your time. Asking yourself a few simple questions will help you narrow down which niche market you should be focussing your products or services on.
Wait! ??♀️ Would you like to follow along?
Download my FREE Niche Worksheet here! I even threw in a ✨ Bonus List of Creative Niche Ideas ✨ just for you!
First things first. Finding your niche has everything to do with you. Determining your interests, skills, and experience will help give you an idea of where you should be focussing your time and energy.
Begin by asking yourself the following questions:
Be sure to write down your answers!
Analyze them.
Pay attention to keywords and reoccurring themes.
Are any of your results connected in some way?
Start searching for what your answers have in common with each other. That common thread will help you determine the products or services you should be focussing on in your business.
If you are anything like me, your piece of paper is probably bursting with countless ideas—and that’s okay! It’s normal for the beginning of your journey to be a little chaotic. But trust me, as soon as you put your pen to paper, things will start to take shape.
After getting a clear(er) idea of your niche through a bit of brainstorming, it is time to take it a step further.
The thing is, as much as your niche is related to you and your passions, your hard work will be for nothing if nobody cares about it. You need to check if there is a market for your idea(s).
My best tip here is to go online, do some research, and find answers to the following questions:
Gathering this information will help you fine-tune your niche to the current demand for your product or service.
You need to know that your target audience is picking up what you’re putting down, so to speak. ?
Besides researching your target audience and understanding their needs, you should also be learning about your competition.
Don’t worry—competition is a good thing! It means you have chosen a market that is in-demand and profitable.
On another piece of paper, write down your answers to the following questions:
Researching your competitors helps you identify where the gaps are in your niche market and how you might be able to fill them with your unique product or service offerings.
To put it simply, it will allow you to separate yourself from the crowd.
Now that you have brainstormed some of your interest areas, researched what your customers need, and studied what your competitors are doing, it is time to reflect on your answers.
Asking yourself even more probing questions will guide you in finding your niche market, so be sure to elaborate here.
Select the top 2-3 commonalities from your brainstorming sessions, and answer the following questions:
Based on how you answer these questions, you should be starting to realize what your niche might be.
Use your research to guide your decision.
Businesses that do not have a clear purpose or goal will not be successful if they cannot get true customer loyalty.
Figuring out your WHY is just as important as figuring out the problem you will be solving. Are your business offerings about passion or obligation?
When you establish your reason for WHY you want to work in your particular niche market; or WHY you want to help your target audience; people will feel more connected to you and your brand.
Want to be sure of your WHY? Then answer the following questions:
But wait, whoa whoa…
What if you’re not 100% satisfied with your chosen niche market?
Don’t worry! It doesn’t have to be forever!
Selecting your niche early in the game does not have to mean it is your be-all-end-all. You always have the freedom to change and expand to your heart’s content.
Over time our goals and ambitions tend to grow, so re-thinking your niche is only natural.
Choosing a niche now does not tether you to the same offerings forever. Think of these 5 simple steps as merely a strategic starting point in a very long (and profitable) career!
Still need a little help?
Download your FREE Niche Worksheet now!
I even threw in a BONUS List of Creative Niche Ideas just for you!
Congratulations!
You have just completed the first step in establishing yourself as an expert in your future industry!
Now it might be a good time to discover 5 Things You Must Do Before You Start Your Online Business.
Let’s go! ✨
Have questions? I offer a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to help set you up for success!
But first, connect with me and tell me how I can help!
© 2024 Trisha Brimmer Design. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy & Terms of Use
