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Should you niche down or not?

We’ll get to that answer shortly.

But first…

What is Niching Down, Really?

Niching down just means:

• Offering products and services within a certain skill set or focus.

• Creating enough content and promos around those offerings.

• Speaking to your ideal client, not everyone at once.

Niching down does not mean:

• Putting yourself in a box and limiting your personal brand.

• Only talking about your niche and nothing else.

A Look at Professionals in Action

It can’t all be serious stuff… it’s nice to find the right balance of “niched” content and “other” content, like these guys do:

→ Josh Spector

Josh Spector helps creative entrepreneurs monetize their skills in his fantastic content about audience and business growth.

Then once in a while he’ll surprise you…

→ Sebastian Hidalgo

Sebastian Hidalgo is a brand strategist helping IT and Tech companies in competitive markets. He’s on point consistently with brand insights, along with his journey and client wins.

Then you’ll see other fun content:

Skills, Self, and Niche

There are millions and millions like you.

Like me.

Same skills and abilities.

All trying to make a living, support our families, and get rich 🤑

THE SOLOPRENEUR’S CAPACITY FOR SUCCESS:

Skills are the barrier to being a solopreneur — that’s what makes you the cash money.

You’re selling either your time, resources, or knowledge. Stacking skills lets you serve more (and better) clients.

Self is your values, personal story, personality, and aspirations.

These develop your personal brand by differentiating you from the other people who have your skills.

Niche is a decided topic or category — usually a mix of your skills, hobbies, and interests… or a business venture.

Claiming a niche brings unity to your messaging and clarity to your audience.

Blend this all up right and you’ll be unstoppable 😎

Don’t Know Your Niche? Start Anyway.

pssst… and keep going!

If you're unsure about the right niche, just start anyway by making content from your skills, hobbies, and interests.

Why?

1. It helps you hone your skills and learn new skills.

2. It attracts like-minded people who may turn into clients.

3. It helps you discover what you enjoy creating the most (which will eventually help you choose a niche).

Don’t let fear or uncertainty be a roadblock (this is a tough one, I know).

You can always start broad and gradually narrow your focus based on your passions, skills, and audience feedback.

Just remember, a niche isn’t a box.

It’s a lens through which to project your multifaceted personal brand.

My Journey and Reflections

I found my niche long ago.

I feel fortunate to have chosen two amazing creative colleges that shaped my future.

Gathered a bunch of skills and started freelancing right away.

Found incredible creative and agency jobs.

Did logos, identities, icons, copy, naming, planning, posting, and everything in between.

I’m a brand designer through and through.

Oh, I also critique menu design so often that my wife has started doing it 🤣

Now I realize…

I’ve been limiting my social media content…

By neglecting my other interests — psychology, productivity, nutrition, drum and bass, being a dad…

I want my audience to not just know what I do, but also understand who I am.

More than just attracting clients, I seek a connection with those who share my interests.

Because working with like-minded people makes this journey more fulfilling.

So to revisit our first question…

Should you niche down or not?

YES! — to a degree that makes sense for you.

How narrow you should go is hard to say.

It depends.

There’s nuance.

…wow, I just had this interaction earlier today ↓

THE NICHE NARROWNESS SCALE

🔦 A focused niche means you can position yourself better and eliminate your competition.

💡A broad focus opens up your audience size and lets you test the waters to pivot more easily.

How Far Did I Niche Down?

Starting this newsletter, I struggled with how narrow I should go.

And ended up where I usually do: on the middle path.

First, I was doing business branding for startups and SMEs.

Now I do branding for solopreneurs.

I didn’t go super narrow, like designing logos and album covers for ska bands.

…though that would be pretty cool 🤔

Whatever you do:

Don’t let your niche choke your marketing into being monotone.

Maintain a consistent theme in your products, services, blogs, and newsletters.

For your online content, feel free to experiment more and enjoy the creative process.

Along the way, you’ll also find your voice.

If you enjoyed this article…

Then you should definitely read this one:

Personal Note and FYI: 

I’ll be moving halfway around the world 13 days from now — August 8.

Back to Canada after living 17 years in Taiwan 😳

Big deal, I know.

So you won’t see an email from me next week (Tuesday, August 1).

I’ll have one scheduled for the Tuesday after.

Till the next episode…

🤖 Robert

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