Find Your Perfect Niche: A Simple Guide to Rock in the Online Space

Ever feel like you're shouting into the internet abyss, but no one's listening? It happens to a lot of us trying to make it online.

We're spreading ourselves too thin, trying to appeal to everyone, and ending up connecting with no one in particular. And that's a recipe for frustration and wasted effort.

You know the feeling of putting your heart and soul into your online business, but not getting the results you hoped for? It's like spinning your wheels in the mud - exhausting and disheartening. Without a clear focus on who you're serving and what problems you're solving, it's easy to get lost in the digital noise.

But fear not! There's a way out of this cycle, and it starts with finding your niche.

Here's how to do it:

1. Choosing a Sub-niche by Audience: Think of a niche like a slice of pie, and then imagine cutting that slice even thinner. Instead of targeting a broad audience, zoom in on a specific group within that audience.

For example, if you're a fitness coach, don't just target "athletes." Zoom in on "runners," and if you want to get even more specific, focus on "marathon runners." By narrowing your focus, you become the go-to person for that particular group.

Example: Let's say you're a personal trainer. Instead of offering generic workout plans, specialize in creating training programs specifically designed for marathon runners. You'll become known as the go-to expert for anyone looking to conquer those 26.2 miles.

2. Choosing a Sub-niche by Product or Service: Now, think about the products or services you offer. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, tailor your offerings to a specific niche market.

For instance, if you're a graphic designer, don't just offer generic design services. Focus on creating branding assets for eco-conscious businesses. This way, you attract clients who share your values and passions.

Example: Let's say you're a web developer who cares about sustainability. You could specialize in building websites for eco-friendly businesses, incorporating features like energy-efficient hosting and carbon footprint calculators. Your niche expertise sets you apart in a crowded market.

3. Creating Your Own "Niche of One": Sometimes, the best niche is one you create yourself.

Combine your unique skills and interests to offer something no one else does.

Whether it's blending languages with marketing know-how or merging financial analysis with personal hobbies, find a niche that reflects who you are and what you're passionate about.

Example: Imagine you're a financial analyst who loves craft beer. You could start a blog analyzing the financial side of the craft beer industry while exploring the art of brewing.

It's a niche that speaks to both finance geeks and beer enthusiasts, and it's something only you can offer.

Next Steps: Once you've found your niche, dive deep into that community. Hang out where your audience hangs out, listen to their needs, and offer solutions that resonate with them. The more you understand your niche, the better you can serve them.

Finding your niche is like finding your tribe in the vast wilderness of the internet.

It's about narrowing your focus, speaking directly to the people who need you most, and offering solutions they can't resist.

Whether you choose a sub-niche by audience, product/service, or create your own niche of one, the key is to be authentic and passionate about what you do.

So go ahead, find your niche, and watch your online business soar.

How to create your “Niche of One”

• 1.Pick something you excel at
• 2.Choose something you're interested in
• 3.Combine them
• 4.Create a distribution system
• 5.Allow an audience to form
• 6.Ask them what they need

1. Skills: Something you excel at Most skills, by themselves, are not unique.

Lots of people can write, speak English and Portuguese, or do financial analysis.

Too often, people make the mistake of choosing a skill when deciding to create online. I’m a writer, so I’ll write.

I’m a painter, so I’ll paint. I know how to do X, so I’ll teach people how to do X. You get the point.

The difficulty arises when the inevitable question comes up:

“What do I write about today?”

“What do I paint today?"

“What do I teach today?”

When the brain faces a creative block, people either quit creating or create something subpar. Two poor outcomes.

Let’s introduce interests into the equation and see what happens.

2. Interests: What you're passionate about

This guide is not meant to be cliché. “Chase your dreams!”. “Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life!” That's all nonsense.

But, interests are important. They keep us...well…interested.

Maybe you're fluent in English and Portuguese and you’re extremely well-versed in marketing. Maybe you understand financial analysis and your hobby is high-end wine.

When you read those sentences, nothing unique or compelling really jumps out. So, now what?

Let’s put them together to start formulating an interesting idea.

3. Idea: Combine the above two

The idea block of a niche of one is where most people get it wrong. They let a lack of creativity keep them from building something unique.

For example, we’ve all had ideas before, but they end up as unfinished blog posts, abandoned podcasts, or dwindling YouTube channels.

That’s because the creation must be forced. You’re starting from a blank canvas every morning. We’re back to the same old questions:

“What do I write about today?”

“What do I paint today?"

“What do I teach today?”

In a niche of one, you create one idea, and then learn how to say it, do it, or package it 1,000+ different ways.

Let’s use our examples from above.

Example 1: You’re a financial analyst and your interest is in wine.

Unique idea: Use your financial knowledge to project the value of one high-end wine bottle each morning.

You're fluent in English and Portuguese and your interest is in marketing.

Unique idea: Translate one of your favorite company landing pages from English to Portuguese using local dialect and slang, every day.

You could easily argue that these ideas are not interesting, but you’d be missing the larger point. They are one single idea that can be produced and reproduced 1000x over.

The game of “what do I do today?” is now over.

These ideas, when shared broadly through proper distribution, attract a natural audience of interested people.

4/5. Distribution & Audience: Create a distribution system

In order for people to discover your unique and interesting idea, they have to be able to find it. This is where distribution comes into play.

Your audience is an outcome of good distribution.

Having a niche of one gives you an advantage because you’ve increased the number of places you can distribute.

For example, if you’re our financial whiz/wine lover, you can distribute on sites centered around wine, the wine exchange, finance trends, etc.

I’d recommend focusing on the following:

Personal blog or newsletter: a place where your content can live forever and can be a catch-all for email subscribers.

Social media: pick one channel and master it. Don’t try to be a social media hero from the start.

Industry sites: every skill and interest has industry sites.

?For example, I like to talk about building online, so I can find great channels on https://marketingedge.com.ng/ or https://nairametrics.com/

Slack Channels: join private Slack communities centered around your skills or interests.

By distributing routinely, a natural audience will grow.

Remember, you don’t pick your audience, they pick you. You simply set up a system where more people are likely to find you.

If you’re our finance/wine person from above, you will naturally attract an audience of people who love wine, sommeliers, and collectors.

But, you’re also likely to attract people who have an interest in data analysis, financial trends, the market, exchanges, and so on.

6. Product: Ask your audience what they need

Now comes the easiest part. Asking and listening.

With an audience built around a specific, unique idea, you can simply start to ask them what would be most helpful, and listen to their answers.

It’s amazing how many people skip this critical step.

Ask on social or send out a survey via email. What would they like to learn? What would they be happy to spend some money on?

For example, some people might enjoy a digital course teaching them your method behind wine price projections.

Others might want a 1:1 Zoom call where you apply your formula to bottles in their collection together, while some would likely just want to purchase a financial analysis of multiple bottles, without the video call.

All of this can be placed on a value ladder that people can move up over time

Summary

In summary, the internet is getting crowded.

Picking your passion and then trying to write or record from scratch each day can be a very daunting task.

The most compelling creators you see online have a system. Nobody is out here winging it.

So, to get started, do the following:

• 1.Pick something you excel at
• 2.Choose something you're interested in
• 3.Combine them
• 4.Create a distribution system
• 5.Allow an audience to form
• 6.Ask them what they need

That's all for my guide on choosing a profitable niche.

Thank you for reading.