There's this childhood story that is kinda like what Niche Branding is about. It's the story of Goldilocks and the 3 bears. When Goldilocks comes to the cabin there are 3 bowls of porridge - Large, Medium, and Small. Goldilocks was really hungry so she eats the large bowl first ... Papa Bear's bowl and it's too hot. Next she tried the medium bowl ... Mama Bear's bowl and it's too cold. Lastly, Goldilocks tried the small bowl ... Baby Bear's and it was just right. Niche Branding is about finding that audience that is just right so that you can eat it up.
For Solopreneurs Finding your Niche Brand in the simplest terms, is locating Your Specialization in Your Business and in Your Industry. Or even finding the Right Audience that you can serve up your level of skills.
Like Goldilocks, we have 3 bowls sitting on the table ready for us to feast on. The most common mistake that Solopreneurs make is we want the big bowl. The Big Audience which is usually too hot for us to handle. The resources are not there, the workload is to vast, and it's to much all at once. The same with medium bowl, but this time, things are cold with the audience you are going after. This audience is not engaged, not responding to your content, not buying. This is why the Niche Brand -"The Small Bowl" so to speak, is just right for you. Specializing or Niche Branding does not mean you will be getting less, Actually you will probably end up earning more. And if you keep reading I will share with you how to make that happen.
Why Is Specialization Important In Business For A Solopreneur ?
I want to take a moment and pause right here for a second to talk on the internal conflict you might be having right now. If you are nervous about having what it takes to become the Specialist in your industry, It's important that we talk.
I am going to go out on a limb here, take a wild guess and say that you are pretty fantastic .... an amazing human being. You have the desire and internal pull to serve and help people. You know that there is greatness that lives insides of you. You feel it, ... you probably have always felt it. You're even reading this post in those efforts to tap into that greatness and better yourself. Am I right?
Yet at the same time, you have this nagging little voice that keeps showing up and whispering in your ear saying stuff like, how can you be an expert or specialist you didn't go to school for this. You're to young to be teaching this, You're to old to be starting a new career. You're too fat, you're too skinny, you're inadequate, you're not smart enough, you're not experience enough... You're Not Enough.
The most important thing I want you to get from this little detour, is that you are not alone and You Are Enough. I often have these same feelings, doubts and thoughts. I know in my head that I am a specialist and expert in the area of Niche Branding for Solopreneurs. Yet still it took me almost a week to write this blog post. That damn little voice kept popping up saying, Why are you writing this post? Nobody cares. Why is it taking you so long to write this blog post, it must be because you don't know what you are talking about.
Yet I am out here everyday, working with Home-Based Solopreneurs, trying to impact the world in my own small way. I still have those feeling that I'm not enough, but I also have a stronger belief that God gave me these talents and skills to share with the world. And it's that belief that keeps me moving forward.
So I am not here so much to convince you that you are a specialist or some expert or something. But I here taking this moment to give you permission to move forward as well. So let's start a movement of people that everyday choose to move forward and make an impact big or small no matter how we are feeling. We are blessed with talents, abilities, ideas, skills, that have taken us this for in our lives. Those gifts were given to us to share.
THAT IS WHAT MAKES US A SPECIALIST OR EXPERT.... Nothing Else!
There are people out there who need what you have. It would be tragic if you never speak up and use your talents, your voice, your experiences to help others change their lives too.
Now Back To The Importance of Specialization In Business For Solopreneurs
The simple answer is that it allows you to better serve a segment of your audience, by becoming specialized in a particular subject or skill. A greater benefit of Specialization in Business for Solopreneurs is it accelerates your authority, allows for greater quality of service, and improves productivity to your core audience. It also allows you to be seen as an specialized expert in your field and not a Jack-of-All-Trades - And people are willing to pay more for a specialist.
What Is An Example Of Specialization?
As many are aware I had a rare incurable disease call Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome (CVS). When I was first diagnosed I looked for a doctor, a specialist to help me with my care. There were many CVS Specialist in the Houston area, but I was looking for one who shared my beliefs in natural organic holistic treatments.
It was because of that particular Niche Branding I was able to make my selection. You creating a Niche Brand within your industry will be the way people will find you and want to work with you. Also keep in mind, a general doctor did not get to charge as much as this particular specialist does. I pay her for her Specialization, - her area of Expertise. In the same way, you can create a Niche Brand or area of expertise so people can find you and pay you top dollar. Now let's look into defining a niche for your personal brand.
How To Define A Niche For Your Personal Brand
In order to find it you have to define it.
First Thing Is To:
1) Determine what it is you want to be known for. What kind of audience do you want to attract?
2) Do some research and find out if there is a demand for your particular Niche Brand you are thinking about.
3) If yes there is an audience, start writing content ideas that speaks directly to that Niche audience.
4) Create ideas about blog posts and articles you could write, graphic quotes that solves a particular problem they have.
5) Find out what social media platforms your Niche Brand audience hangs out on and make sure you are there too. Make list of the problems they are talk about on social media.
6) On a smaller scale start speaking at events and webinars in front of this Niche audience or volunteer to do so. Slowly start to build your influence with your Niche Audience.
Next let’s look at how to choose what your Niche Brand should be about?
HOW TO FIND YOUR NICHE BRAND
What kind of audience do you want to attract? Can be a confusing question to answer sometimes. But Let's circle back to Goldilocks and the 3 bears story for our answers and to find out how to find your Niche Brand. To make it simple, let's use the following analogy: The Big Bowl, Medium Bowl, and Small Bowl.
The place to begin is discovering which market your business falls in. Most all specialization business are in one of 3 market categories.
Relationships, Wealth, or Health are the 3 most common areas businesses provide their Niche Brand to. I also like to call this market category Large Bowl - Papa Bear's Bowl. So here is an important question and your first step.
STEP 1: Which of these best matches your area of Specialization right now?
Remember we are not looking for exact markets. We are looking for the Specialization Market that is the best fit for right now.
Now that you have which Specialization Market you fit into, let's go a bit deeper to discover your Specialist Sub-Audience. Let me give you an example of what I mean.
STEP 2: What Specialist Sub-Audience do you fit into?
Inside these 3 areas of Specialization are multiple Sub-Audiences. For example, inside Relationship is Love, Parenting Advice, and Marriage Advice. Inside Wealth is Sales, Coaching, Real Estate and Investing. Also inside Health is Weight Loss, Nutrition, Diet and Strength Training. These Sub-Audiences or Medium-Mama Bear's Bowl can be endless.
Even though the Sub-Audiences have thousands or even millions of people in them. The problem is saturation. Often these audiences are difficult to connect with and influence as a Solopreneur. Now you just need to determine What Specialist Sub-Audience do you fit into?
There's NO money in the Specialist Sub-Audience for a Solopreneur. Your riches is in the niches. The Specialist Niche or Small Bowl is where your porridge is JUST RIGHT. So now we get to dig further down into the Specialist Niche that allows your skills to shine and where the larger income begins.
STEP 3: How To Find Your Specialist Niche?
The best way to find your Specialist Niche is by identifying what you're passionate about. What do you shine at or love doing? Answering these questions will help you discover the Specialist Niche that's just right for you and where people will be willing to pay top dollar for your services.
For example, Specialization Market >> Specialist Sub-Audience >> Specialist Niche
And you have selected, Health >>>>> Nutrition >>>> Supplement healthy green diet
Let's try another example, Wealth >>> Online Business >>> Tik Tok Ads Traffic
Ok, now it's your turn to write out a Niche Brand for your business.
Choose one of the following Specialization Markets: Relationship, Wealth, or Health.
Then choose a Specialist Sub-Audience you fit into from that market and lastly what is your Specialist Niche?
You are going to have to be a little creative to carve out your own Specialist Niche. Usually, the answers come in the form of your biggest passions or needs. Keep digging you will find it and when you do it will warm you like a bowl of porridge.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Specialize in your Niche Brand to find your target audience.
- The Narrower the Niche the more influence and income you will generate.
- When in doubt think Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, and what's just right for you?
#10kMatters
