Why Choosing A Niche Isn’t Pigeonholing Yourself

One of my colleagues (who is a writer and a coach) recently launched a dating book on Amazon to rave reviews. Before the official launch she called me and expressed some concerns. Namely she thought that by choosing a niche (dating, for example) that she would be pigeonholing herself for future work.

This is a very common fear that people on the entrepreneurial journey have. I’ve had to help many a coaching client realize that by choosing a niche they aren’t limiting themselves and that in fact they are strategically setting themselves up for success.

I struggled with this idea of niching down in my own business as well. I spent years talking about general “lifestyle design” (What does that even mean?) or trying to fit into a generic life coaching label (it was a very hard sell). It wasn’t until I narrowed down my focus to business and money that any real money started coming in.

Once I had moved past choosing a niche, and then began focusing on it, the quality of my clients improved, I started making more money and very cool opportunities to grow my business started presenting themselves.

In fact, I sometimes kick myself for not niching down sooner! Who knows where I’d be if I hadn’t spent so much time being resistant to choosing a niche?

If you’re currently feeling resistant to the idea of choosing a niche let this article serve as a message as to why you shouldn’t. Below you’ll find some of the ways that niching down not only improves your business, but also doesn’t cause you to pigeonhole yourself.

The riches are in the niches

I’ve already alluded to this fact, but it merits some further exploration. Pat Flynn, who is the internet’s resident expert on niching down on the internet, has a saying he often teaches “The riches are in the niches.” Just because he’s such a powerful example, it’s worth noting that Pat Flynn makes over $100,000 a month in passive income precisely because he’s taken the time to choose very specific niches for each of his websites.

The more specific you are about your market’s problem the more likely you are to make money. As a former recruiter I can also tell you that this is true outside of business as well.

Most job candidates had the same generic skills on paper, however it was those who had a particular expertise that were more likely to grab an employer’s attention and get hired.

In the business world, people want to hire experts. They don’t give you their money if you cover a myriad of issues because you’re giving them a convoluted message.

If you’re unclear about what you offer, then you can’t portray its value. If you can’t portray the value of what you offer then it’s unlikely people will pay you.

On the other hand, the more clear and specific you get (aka: niching down), the more likely you are to not only reach your market, but create revenue. Speaking from an internet marketing perspective it wasn’t until I got crystal clear and narrowed down significantly that I was able to see higher conversion rates, more organic search traffic, more past readers coming back and more ad revenue. Choosing a niche has paid off time and again.

From a business perspective, as soon as I niched down and focused I started getting higher quality writing and coaching clients. This isn’t a coincidence. This is what happens when you get strategic.

You’re not actually pigeonholing yourself by choosing a niche

Business owners who are in the process of choosing a niche also often complain that they are afraid of pigeonholing themselves. This is especially true for creative types or people who have multiple interests.

This is a common form of scarcity mentality that runs rampant among business communities. I can also tell you from personal experience that this is 100 percent false.

Although I decided to stick to personal finance and business topics, the reality is this opens the door to talk about several things. Personal finance alone covers loans, credit, budgeting, entrepreneurship, income and so much more. And business topics can range from starting a business to healthy living as a business owner.

So in reality I haven’t pigeonholed myself at all. In many ways I’m still talking about everything I was doing before, it’s just geared toward millennial entrepreneurs.

Going back to my colleague’s dating example, dating doesn’t just refer to going on a date. There’s self-love, self-confidence, fashion, date locations (like restaurants), money in relationships and several other relationship topics.

In her case, since she launched her book and decided to focus on relationships she’s gotten called to do radio and local news segments because she’s now seen as an expert on a certain topic.

Again, this isn’t a coincidence; it’s a by-product of choosing a niche. As soon as she got clear on her message then others began to understand the value she was providing and wanted to work with her.

What to do if you are feeling resistant

The first thing is to identify what you are so afraid of. For most people they are afraid of missing out on parts of the market. They feel like they will make less money. The interesting part is that research and countless examples like the ones mentioned above show the exact opposite is true.

The most powerful exercise I have clients do is find examples of people who have been successful in a given niche. Since there are so many examples of this, it’s really not difficult to find. This alone usually serves as proof that choosing a niche actually leads to a lot more success.

After all, sometimes all people need is proof. Fortunately for us the internet is full of that.

Your turn

Have you felt any resistance toward niching down? Or, on the other side of the coin, have you found success by choosing a niche and narrowing down your focus? Share in the comments!

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About the Author

Amanda Abella is an online business coach, speaker and author of the Amazon bestselling book - Make Money Your Honey. She is committed to helping individuals have a better relationship with work and money through entrepreneurship, online marketing and money mindset. Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, and more.

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