Niches are commonly discussed topics amongst content creators. Some swear they’re the amulet of success, other’s think they’re limiting. No matter what, most of us hate the idea of a niche. Whether we agree with them or not.
So do you really need one? Well, yes and no. It completely depends on your goals with what you’re creating.
Niching creates a community of like-minded individuals, fostering deeper engagement and loyalty. Think of niche audiences as tribes drawn to a specific campfire, eager to hear stories from their own kind. Specialization allows creators to establish themselves as authorities in their chosen field. This attracts potential collaborators, sponsorships, and elevates their credibility beyond generalist content.
Furthermore, algorithms favor content with clear focus and relevance. Appealing to a specific niche helps creators rank higher in searches, exposing them to their ideal audience more easily. So, if your goals are financial, business-y and career-like, you will want one for the easier goal achieving advantage.
If you’re a hobby blogger, vlogger, podcaster or whatever, a niche isn’t super important. It will, however, be hard to grow a real following without one. For sure, some creators thrive on variety and genre-bending. Diverse interests are potential bridges to connect with different audiences, forming a “multi-niche” identity.
In this way, niching can be a flexible framework, not a rigid cage. Creators can evolve their niche over time, exploring sub-niches or expanding their horizons without losing their core audience.
No matter what, your passions and unique voice matter more than any niche. The audience resonates with genuine expression, and forcing a niche can feel inauthentic and hinder audience trust. Niche selection should be driven by individual goals. Content for enjoyment can focus on diverse interests, while business-oriented creators might benefit from a tighter niche.
Despite the facts, a niche is not a formula for success. Originality, storytelling, and quality will always trump rigid adherence to niche expectations. Experiment and discover what works best for you. The ideal niche might be somewhere unexpected, waiting to be unearthed through exploration and self-discovery.
Misconceptions About Having a Niche
People don’t like niches because they feel as though they tie you down. How are we suppose to choose ONE THING to talk about for the rest of the foreseeable future? We’re super complex people after all.
Let me make this less scary. You don’t have to choose 1 thing to talk about forever. Most of us, when starting out, have no idea who we are fully or what we could possibly talk about for that long. And that’s okay.
Choose a broad niche that can encompass a lot of things for the time being. Something like:
- Holistic Living
- Spiritual Living
- Vegan Changes
- Beauty for Millennials
- Enlightened Growth
- Finding Ourselves
- Etc
Commit to focusing on 1 (3 if you must but definitely no more than 3) topic(s that relate) for 6 months. This will give you plenty of time to see if it’s the subject for you. This is the concept of micro-niches, highly specific subgroups within broader categories. This allows creators to cater to a well-defined audience while maintaining some creative freedom.
After you’ve spent some time hashing out content in these topics, reflect on it. Are you enjoying it? Are you having an easy time finding things to relate to it? Say about it? Are you over flowing with ideas or is the well running dry?
Something broad will do just fine for now while you’re figuring out who you are, what you want to provide and who you want to provide it for (which should be your main focuses on getting clear). This at least gives you an area of specificity that lets people know if they belong when they land on you.
Chiseling it down even more to who and what will help you more in building as you go.
Who You’re Talking To is More Important Than The Niche
Most of us have a general idea of what type of people we want to talk to. NO, IT’S NOT “EVERYONE”. Have you liked, clicked with and wanted to hang out with every single person you’ve ever met? No? Didn’t think so.
You’re going to be hanging out with these people all of the time. Take the opportunity to REALLY think about what kind of people you enjoy being around. Specifically design one person to be your imaginary best friend. This is who you’re talking to in everything you put out from now on.
It’s okay to be a little generic if you’re just starting out. Above all, we don’t want you to get frozen in the details. Making content is priority number one. Think along the lines of:
- Hippies
- Yoginis
- Parents
- Jocks
- Book worms
- Nerds
- Geeks
- Gamers
Who are your people? Who would you want to hang out with at a shin-dig? Who would you definitely not want to hang out with?
It’s okay to be a little biased here. Yeah, we want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt but these stereotypes, or archetypes, help us to not waste our time (or attract people who waste our time and cause us strife).
We won’t go deep into ideal client avatars here in this post but please get a general idea at least. From there, you’ll always want to be refining and getting more specific.
Questions To Find Your Niche
Finding your niche, that sweet spot where your passion intersects with genuine service, is a two-pronged process. We can unpack “who you are” and “how you can help” further to reveal a wealth of self-discovery and audience understanding:
The more we know about who we are, the better we can find our niche. If you know who you are and what you do, so will your audience. If you don’t, neither will they.
- What have you struggled with and overcome?
- What do you still struggle with and wish to overcome?
- What are you naturally good at?
- What skills have you honed through life and experience?
- What do you want to learn, know or do?
- What kind of difference do you want to make in the world?
- What would you change if you could?
- Who needs help? With what?
- How can you serve?
Everyone has something that they are struggling with. For many of us, it’s something that has been a reoccurring theme throughout our lives. Your own journey of healing can help others if you choose the niche of it.
Don’t underestimate the power of your hobbies and dreams! A niche built around your genuine enthusiasm can translate into engaging content, attracting an audience who shares your fire. Think travel blogging, historical fiction writing, or even niche podcasts about lesser-known hobbies.
What drives you? What do you believe in? Building a niche around your core values allows you to attract others who resonate with your message, creating a community with shared purpose. This could lead to creating educational content on social justice issues, promoting sustainable living practices, or even offering spiritual guidance.
Identify the pain points of your potential audience. What struggles do they face? What questions do they have? Building a niche around providing solutions can make you an invaluable resource, attracting and retaining a loyal following. This could involve offering financial planning tips, teaching DIY skills, or even providing emotional support through content creation.
Maybe your superpower is uplifting others. A niche focused on personal growth, creativity, or even humor can empower and inspire your audience, leaving them feeling better equipped to tackle life’s challenges. Think motivational speeches, positive affirmations, or even lighthearted entertainment that provides a much-needed escape.
Do you have a knack for bringing people together? A niche based on fostering connections, whether through shared interests, hobbies, or even professional networking, can create a thriving space for interaction and support. This could involve online forums, collaborative projects, or even local meet-ups for your niche community.
Remember:
- Your niche is not static: It can evolve as you grow and discover new aspects of yourself.
- Don’t be afraid to niche down: Sometimes, focusing on a smaller, more specific audience can yield greater impact and engagement.
- Authenticity is key: Share your true self, your passions, and your desire to help. Your audience will connect with your genuine voice.
Finding your niche is a journey of self-exploration and audience understanding. By delving deeper into “who you are” and “how you can help,” you can unlock a world of creative possibilities and build a space where your unique talents and passions truly resonate.
Example Niches:
- Personal Development
- Mindset
- Health
- Eating Habits
- Relationships
- Health
- Chronic Illness
- Acute Illness
- Disabilities
- Weight
- Food Allergies / Sensitivities
- Healthy eating
- etc
- Mental health
- Anxiety
- Depression
- ADHD
- Abuse
- Self Love
- Confidence
- Perfectionism
- etc
- Tech
- Troubleshooting
- Hardware
- Software
- How-tos
- Abuse
- Mental
- Physical
- Emotional
- Neglect
- Domestic
- etc
- Social Problems
- Eco-living
- Gardening
- Politics
- Beauty
- Hair
- Nails
- Makeup
- Fashion
- Witchy
- Herbalism
- Energy
- Rituals
- Moon-ology
- Astrology
- Tarot
- Crystals
- Channeling
We could go on forever.
- What do you get excited to talk about when it comes up in conversation?
- What do people ask you advice on?
- What have you read a ton of books on?
- What have you listened to a ton of podcasts on?
- What have you binged on YouTube for the past 5 years?
- What can you not stop yourself from talking about when the opportunity arises?
- What do you sit around and think about all of the time?
- What are you good at?
- What do you want to be good at?
Essentially, at the end of the day, what can you teach others about or inspire and motivate them to do / have / be? How can you help? We want to bring value to others and their lives. We want to serve them and help create a better world for us all.
And we want to bring it to one type of people. Over and over in different ways and stemming off of the topics with other relatable things.
Niches Don’t Have to be Limiting
Just because you’ve chosen a food niche doesn’t mean you’re stuck posting recipe after recipe for the rest of forever. You can expand into tons of directions that relate back to food.
- Nutritional benefits of XYZ
- How to pair flavors
- What to eat after a workout
- Seasonal eating
- Pregnancy Diets
- What your dog should be eating
- Substitutes for picky eaters
- Such and such’s best tips for holiday gatherings
Don’t be afraid to choose a niche. Staying focused on something now can help you go ahead and start building an audience. You can always pivot later. No one’s going to fine you if you one day decide your heart lies more with homesteading than parenting. Who we are is a moving target anyway.
Will you lose some followers in the shift? You’re always going to be losing followers no matter what. It’s not personal. There’s 86847465354346569879876 things pulling at our attention every day. Don’t mind the numbers. It’s better to have 5 loyal fans than 25 followers who don’t really care and are just passing through.
Join us live in our Facebook group every week to discuss a new subject on finding the confidence to pursue your passion project.
Other Articles You May Enjoy:
- How to Navigate The Stigma of Neurodivergences and Learning Disabilities
- How to Find Energy Patterns that Alcohol is Masking so You Can Find Purpose & Fulfillment
- How Past Life Regression Can Help You Understand, Heal & Create Your Own Reality
- How to Trust Your Intuition & Give Yourself Permission to Grow & Manifest Abundance
- How to Ease the Grief Process by Normalizing Death in Our Society & Culture
Author
S.S.Blake; Spiritual Life Coach, Yoga + Meditation Teacher and Founder of Earth and Water
LET’S BE FRIENDS!
Explore working with me to find your voice and share your message with the world.
