Let me guess… you’re looking around thinking, “there are so many other people offering exactly what I offer, why would someone want to choose me?”. You feel like you’re raising your hand in a crowd screaming “pick me!” and there are hundreds of people around you screaming the same thing. The good news is you CAN stand out in a saturated market.

The solution is to define and fall in love with your niche market.
**Freebie Workbook Below!**

WHAT IS A NICHE MARKET?

A niche market is a very small and defined group of people. Business Dictionary refers to it like being the big fish in a small pond, instead of being the small fish in a big pond. It’s totally normal when you’re just getting started to take any work that comes your way. You’re excited to be making money doing what you love so you say yes, yes, yes to everyone. It’s time to change that mentality, you can’t be everything to everyone.  If you are working with all types of clients or saying your product is perfect for everyone, your marketing message ends up way too general and won’t connect on the deeper level you need. On the other hand, if you hone in on a much smaller niche market you can tailor your messaging to directly speak to them.

You may be thinking “I can’t afford to only work with certain clients, I need all the work I can get right now”. I completely get that, the bills have got the be paid and you gotta do what you gotta do. But at the same time you need to start attracting the right people by how you present yourself. Be so picky in showcasing work on your website and your social channels, and only choose to show what represents your ideal client. Over the years I’ve worked with ALL kinds of businesses, from retail and fashion to real estate and corporate business, but I now choose to only show what resonates with my target audience.

A real life example:

I could have chosen to offer graphic design services to businesses in need. I would have basically been trying to reach anyone and everyone in need of graphic design, which as a service description is also way too general. Instead, I chose to offer branding solutions to women entrepreneurs, specifically women who are just getting started or who are doing a lot of the work on their own. It’s an audience I am truly passionate about serving, and although I’m basically turning away a lot of potential clients by presenting myself this way, it allows me to talk directly to the RIGHT people in a very specific way. Now when my ideal client comes across me they feel like I know them, I understand them, there is a connection there that wouldn’t exist if I was speaking to the masses. It takes a lot of the comparison game off the table because my ideal client now feels like I am exactly what they need.

Are you going to be the only one serving your niche?

Most likely no, but you sure as hell will be competing with WAY less people than if you didn’t choose a certain type of client.

So how can you take it a step further to stand out even more?

Trust me, if your business is service based, price is not the answer.

Owning your own business comes with extra expenses you SHOULD be factoring into your pricing. For me I have a list of business expenses I pay for each month (design programs, business management software, supplies, equipment, etc) plus saving money for taxes, for vacation time and for my future. If you are working for yourself full-time you also might have additional expenses like paying for your own healthcare, which ALSO should be factored into your pricing. Lowering your prices too much and sacrificing your margins will likely leave you wondering, where did all the money go? In a service based business, your TIME is so valuable- don’t cheapen yourself trying to compete with pricing.

To set yourself apart from the others in your niche, let the TRUE YOU come through.

Stop trying to look like everyone else, talk like them, and write like them. It’s hard to not do the whole comparison game, I recently found myself looking at someone else’s website in my same industry. They offer similar services to a similar target market, and their site was romantic, soft, feminine, proper, and the verbiage reflected that. It was beautiful, and I started thinking, should I be more like this? I stopped myself right there, because that’s not me. While yes I would say I’m feminine, it’s not in a pink girly kind of way. I’m a beachy girl all the way- casual and easy going.  I’m drawn to the colors of the ocean and travel is one of my biggest passions in life. It’s important all of this comes through in my brand, just as it’s important the real you shines through in yours.

Snatch up this freebie!

This mini workbook will help you dig deeper to find out who your little niche target market really is, and will help you uncover the unique factors that makes you YOU- the you that should be shining through in your brand.