Should you pick a niche for your business? Of course…but the mere mention of that subject can bring great fear among professionals.
In fact, one of the greatest fears in business is the fear of focus. Your customer’s needs can vary depending on many factors, and the fear of ‘boxing yourself in’ can be very real in some circumstances. But, if you attempt to help everyone, you’ll just help yourself right out of business.
That’s why we’ve compiled five criteria to consider when we position entrepreneurs for personal branding. Learn how to find your business niche by reading below.
“If you attempt to help everyone, you’ll help yourself right out of business.”
Focus On A Geographic Area
If your business is done primarily inside a specific geographic area, you could choose to position yourself as the local expert in that area. However, beware! Just servicing a particular area is not (in and of itself) a strong point of differentiation. That’s because you’ll no doubt have several (or many) competitors in your area, so your location focus alone is not enough to warrant choosing you over your competition.
So, if you go this route, you’ll need to combine it with at least one of the other criteria below. If you also showcase other things that set you apart, this option can be both focused and meaningful.
Also, consider whether you’ll live in or near this area throughout your career in this business. If not, you probably want to consider another niche.
Focus On A Specific Customer Type
This position is often used to hone in on a specific clientele. It can be highly effective if you have a strong connection to or shared experiences with a particular group of people. This criterion seems to bring the most fear (of focus).
You may be afraid that only customers of this type will come to you for your business. In some ways, you want that to happen because you know that these customers already want your product or service. The fear is thinking that you’ll drive other customers away because of your focus. That is far from the truth — as long as you present the message right.
You will naturally get other types of customers from fringe businesses or referrals. Go ahead and work with them if you want. But the more time you spend nurturing the specific customer type you’re most suited for, the more your business will grow in this direction. In other words, you can do business with most that seek you out, but when it comes to spending time, money and effort on marketing, make sure you’re focused on a specific ideal customer.
Focus On Your Expertise
Positioning yourself due to your specific expertise is a great way to stand out among your competitors. This focus allows you to showcase a product or service in which you specialize.
This position can be extremely powerful because it focuses on expertise that is exclusive to you. For example, you may have expertise in launching a podcast, coaching entrepreneurs to improve how they appear in Google searches, writing biographies to help people nail job opportunities, or helping entrepreneurs charge more for their services and pay less for marketing. This list is as long as the list of humans we help.
Keep in mind that the more specific you can get, the more value you will have to your customer. And the more likely that you can position yourself very differently from your competition. Of course, as in all the other categories, the type of expertise you bring to the table should match your ideal customer’s wants or needs.
Focus On Your Experience
Few things speak louder than experience, but you must express it more than simply putting down ’25 years in the business.’ Many professionals can boast years in the business. You must showcase the type of experience you have or what you have learned through that experience.
Connect the dots and make the ‘why’ clear to your customers. Your experiences are the point of differentiation that’s going to help you make connections and form relationships. Be prepared to share your story so your customers never forget why they (and many others before them) chose you.
This criterion is often used when someone has past experience in another closely-tied industry which helps them explain their value in a new position.
Focus On Your Attributes
We often use this type of positioning with new business owners. Since they don’t have the experience or knowledge of their competitors yet, we focus on individual attributes that set them apart. We appeal to the type of customer they seek to attract by presenting relatable personal and professional attributes.
Some people may be driven and persistent, thus satisfying a customer’s desire to get things done quickly. Others may motivate and provide a positive experience, giving customers great confidence in their journey and transaction.
The key to this position is authenticity. Be who you are everyday, and use those strong attributes to attract clients who appreciate your time and dedication to the craft.
The Takeaway
Once you’ve considered these five criteria, start implementing them into your business. Whether you’re figuring out how to find your business niche or how to find your coaching niche, the above criteria can help you present your point of differentiation.
Still need some help with finding your perfect niche? We’ll create a personal brand just for you to stand out among your competitors. Download our FREE GUIDE and discover how to stand out among the competitors.
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BrandFace LLC is a personal branding firm for entrepreneurs and experts who want to STAND OUT from their competition and attract their ideal customers so they can become recognized and sought after authorities in their space. Tonya Eberhart & Michael Carr are the partners behind BrandFace. Their mantra is, “People don’t do business with a logo. They do business with a person.”