Virtual Marketeers

Niche marketing can be pretty much summed up by your refining a specialty in your business.  It is usually, but not always, something that the person establishing the business/blog is good at, maybe has a love for.  It could be a hobby, it could be something you enjoy, or something that you are really good at, maybe you are a professional and have done a degree in this particular area.  The selection of niche areas possible is huge; larger than anyone can ever imagine.  Actually I am certain that their are currently niche areas that haven’t been recognised yet, especially in areas such as science and technology where knowledge and hardware are continually developing, changing and growing.

Some people starting out in business know exactly what their niche is going to be.  Some example might be an Business Accountant, or a Web Marketer, or Environmental Consultancy, or Association Management… the list goes on for miles and miles and miles!  Others will most certainly start out broader and then eventually they will refine the niche area for their business.

Why Establish a Niche Area?

Establishing a niche is a marketing tool for telling the world that you are a specialist in that particular field.

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’?  This old saying means that a person is competent in many things, but not necessarily a master of any.  Something I have learned about this saying since I have started working online is that being a ‘Jack of all trades’ is err, okay, but those good people who are considered to be ‘Jack of all trades’ won’t necessarily make as much money as a business entrepreneur that has a more specialized field.  The reason?  Jack of all trades, although in most cases are competent, aren’t seen as specialists in any particular field.  For this reason, they are often expected to work at a much lower rate.

To be absolutely honest I think it is a-okay to have developed a sound knowledge in a number of areas and also to work on skills in areas outside of your specialty area – actually this is essential to becoming and being a successful business entrepreneur.  Thing is, when you are marketing yourself through your blog, or your website, or even a promotional flyer who would someone be more likely to contact?  Someone that says ‘I do a bit of everything’, or someone that highlights ‘I am an IT Consultant’ or ‘I sell Fashion Shoes’ or ‘I am an Expert Blogger and make X amount of money blogging’ or ‘I am an experience herb gardener’…?  The more specific and refined the niche the better.  When you are choosing keep in mind that making your niche too specific might be a problem also, I think only a couple of people might be interested in ‘Using Oregano in Baked Beans’ for example.

I received a flier the other day from someone that Services Trees, it says:

• Excellence in all tree work
• Large and small trees removed
• Palms cleaned or removed
• Stump grinding
• Hedging/Garden clean up
• Level 5 Arborist
• Pensioner discount…

From the flyer I received I am able to establish exactly the services this business provides and whether I might be needing these services in the near future.  If I however received a flyer from an individual offering a handyman type skillset, then I would probably think them to be a backyard job, a person out to make a few extra $’s to cover their bills (no offence to all those great handymen out their – I do know that there are ones that are absolutely worth their weight in gold).  In general I would not expect to pay large amounts to hire a handyman, but because this tree service business provides a fancy flyer and a list of all the things that they are qualified in, plus a note to the bottom to say that their business is family owned, and has operated succesfully over 25 years; because of all these things – I expect for the price to be high, but the service and the results to be good.

I have found that there are sometimes exceptions to this rule.  Some examples would be Big W, Woolworths, Walmart, Harrods, Amazon etc.  These are the stores that sell many items, and these large stores would usually be put in the category of a Department Store.  The word ‘Department’ in this title is a dead giveaway – these stores also sell items under niche categories, or ‘Departments’ as they would call them – so you might purchase an item that was from the Entertainment Department, or Clothing Department, or Home & Garden Department, or Toys Department, or Health & Beauty Department, or Books Department, or Stationery Department… the list is long.  My point is, even though these larger stores sometimes do not boast a niche area for their business as a whole, most of the time that actual store, whether it be virtual or not, is broken down into many parts.  If you were to contact the store the lady at the front desk would say ‘I’ll put you through to the Toys Department,’ or whichever section you are inquiring about and if there is a sale on in the store, it would normally be in relation to a specific Department.

When Should We Establish a Niche Area?

Establishing a niche prior to developing a business plan, or starting a business is much more desirable than developing a niche later on down the track as it:

1. Allows for you to do the necessary research in that specialty area; and
2. Helps you to market your business better from the get-go;
3. Means you don’t need to spend additional money down the track when you decide to develop your niche area.  The additional money I speak of is in relation to your business name, logo (which then means you have to change all you stationery) and you might also spend funds on a targeted marketing campaign.

Some more articles about Niche Marketing:

Niche Profit Classroom, Yaro Starak, Entrepreneurs-Journey.com
Home Based Business – Niche Marketing Opportunities Made Simple, Leonard Bartholomew
Niche marketing: the business specialist, Robert Gerrish, Flying Solo
Is niche marketing restricting your blog? James Duthie, Online Marketing Banter

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