Niche Down to Stand Out
So you are an creative entrepreneur and you want to build your online presence through social media. You want to step into the limelight and stand out amongst this saturated market. You know there are so creatives out there - artists, designers, photographers, sculptures, stylists and so on and you are wondering how you can stop yourself from being lost in the sea of millions
Well, you are in the right place! Although you may find what I am about to tell you a bit difficult to get your head around at first, I can tell you from experience that it is THE thing that is going to allow you to become known in your industry.
Yep, you guessed it - you need to niche down.
You need to show yourself as the creative who can creates in a way that is unique to YOU! If you are speaking to everyone you are speaking to no-one. Let me explain this;
If I am a homeowner who is looking for inspiration and ultimately a designer who I can work with to create my dream home. I am not sure what my style is but I know that when I see it I’ll know. So I start saving images on Instagram and Pinterest.
As I am scrolling I see lot’s of homes have been styled in the same way, nothing special but beautiful. I scroll past them because they just feel so vanilla and ‘generic’. Then an image stops me in it’s tracks - it is different and unique. It has a particular feeling about it that draws me to it. So I save it.
Then I dive into their Instagram page - and before long I have saved nearly every image, learnt all about the designer and their process.
This woman is YOUR ideal client. You have attracted her to your page because she is in love with your style and the way you design. She is pouring over every image you post and cant wait for the next one.
If your images were the same as everyone elses would you have stood out to her? Or would you be one of MANY images in her saved album she uses as inspiration but doesn’t necessarily want to dive in to learn more.
So you see, as we evolve as creatives we start to see our signature style evolve. We start to get brave and rather than follow the masses we create from our soul. And this is attractive!
How do you Niche in your business?
But how do you niche down? I have a practice that I do with my students and clients where I take them through a guided meditation. Taking them through their day from the moment they wake up and get to work. This allows them to create the perfect day in their mind. What they are working on. Who is their client. What do they see around them in their designs.
When we take away all outside distractions that can influence our style, you truly tune into what YOU actually love to create, not what you think you SHOULD create.
“But if I niche down won’t I limit the amount of clients who will work with me?” I know exactly what you are thinking!
Absolutely not! When I was in my early years working in property styling and design for residential clients, I was a VERY generic stylist. I followed other accounts and watched how they were styling spaces, what kind of pieces they used etc and emulated that.
But as time went on I was bored! I personally LOVED the calm and relaxed coastal style. I live in a coastal suburb and alot of the homes I was styling were near the beach. So I slowly started to purchase coastal prints and pieces that I loved into my property styling ‘kit’.
I then ONLY shared the images from the homes that I styled this way on my social media and website. Why? Because I wanted to build a reputation as a coastal stylist. I decided to niche down and ONLY style and design homes for clients who LOVED what I did. I didn’t want to just be like everyone else.
Before long, i was attracting my ideal client to ME. People came to me to create a calm and relaxed coastal home. When someone had a friend who wanted a coastal home they would think of me and refer me. My designer peers in the industry dubbed me the ‘coastal queen’ because that is ALL I talked and shared about.
How Niching can effect your business?
Firstly I want to share that when you do narrow down, you will most likely lose some followers. But more often than not they are there because they have connected to you and your style, and when you evolve and change they may just change with you.
That age old saying “If you are speaking to everyone you are speaking to noone” is so true when it comes to niching.
I know it can feel like it will have a negative impact on your business. That if you niche down into a particular style or product that you are limiting your client base.
But it is far from the case. When you niche into a specific area, you will become known as the go-to person in that space. You become an authority and known for that particular thing.
Here are some ways it will positively impact your business:
It allows you to truly get to know who your ideal client/customer is. Narrow in on what their needs are, their problems and what they desire. When you know this you are able to speak directly to them - thus attracting them to YOU
Depending on what you choose to do, it can allow you to stand out in a saturated market. With so many creatives online in the industry now you need to do something a little different or specific that you can highlight.
It makes content creation so much easier! When you know who you are creating the content for, you know what they want to see. Visually and educationally.
It can reduce your competition! Having a market that isn’t so broad allows you to stand out.
Specialising in a particular area of expertise can give the perception of expertise and authority, allowing you to charge premium prices for your products or services.
Enhanced brand loyalty and relationships - as you know building relationships with trades and suppliers in the industry is so important. You can build a very strong collaborative relationship with other businesses who align with your niche.
Clearer Brand Identity: Narrowing down your niche helps define your brand identity more clearly, making it easier for customers to understand what you stand for and why they should choose your business over others.
I understand you may not feel the need to niche down, and it’s definitely not necessary for every creative, especially if you already have a unique style about you. You may create your own signature style that is unique to you and that people start to recognise as you.
So you need to do what feels right, what you LOVE and what is needed and popular in your area or suburb. There is no point niching down into a coastal interiors style as a designer in the middle of the snowfields!
Finally, once you have established a strong online presence and brand within your niche there is no reason why you can’t change that, expand into related markets as well. Your career, style and clientele will evolve and grow and move with you.
So as you can see, niching into a particular area as a creative is NOT going to adversely effect your business but will enhance it and allow you to stand out in a saturated market of ‘sameness’
Be bold, be different, be unique and be brave!
