niche marketing strategy

Question: Does a niche marketing strategy still work today? Answer: Yes, but not in the way it used to. To understand what I mean, imagine this. It’s Friday night, and you’ve just completed an exhausting week of work. You’re so ready to chill. But right now, you’re hungry. But since you’re also tired, the idea of going home to cook something from scratch in your kitchen is appalling. So, you decide to eat out. As you stand on the sidewalk, you notice two restaurants side by side. One serves fast food. The other serves delicious vegan-friendly dishes. Now, let’s say you’re: A vegetarian An animal lover A person who doesn’t mind spending for quality food Which restaurant would you pick? That’s right, you’d go for restaurant #2. As you walk inside, you notice all kinds of people. Koreans, African Americans, Indians. You notice young couples, elderly people, and hurried businessmen. (Or, maybe you’re in the long drive-thru line — and you notice all the people in the cars around you, or coming out of the restaurant with their to-go bags neatly packed under their arms.) Why did these people choose to dine in the same restaurant as you? For sure, it’s not because you share the same demographic. You’re not all the same age, color, and race. It’s because the restaurant’s unique differentiation factor called out to your needs and beliefs. So yes, niche marketing strategy still works today. But the term “niche” should no longer be about a certain age, race, or gender group. Instead, it should be about your content differentiation factor, and how it speaks to your audience, no matter where or how old they are. Let’s dig deeper. Niche Marketing Strategy: It’s No Longer About Age, Gender, and Race If you ask a ton of marketers today how you should go about promoting your brand, they’ll likely tell you an overblown, outdated lie: “Find your niche.” And you’ll likely believe them, go to Google Analytics, and find out how old your audience is. Or where they live, and whether they’re male or female. If you find out that five of your audience members are women in their 20’s who live in Chicago, you’ll then go ahead and address all your marketing materials to them. The problem is, you’re leaving out a ton of people who could benefit from what you’re offering. According to Jeff Goins, the world has changed. We’re connected in ways never dreamed of in the past. Source: fizzle.co Which means, your audience can be anywhere. They can be high schoolers, savvy entrepreneurs, or work-from-home moms. They can be Irish, Canadian, Japanese, or Filipino. What ties them together is the same thing that tied diners at the fancy keto place together: what you offer, and how that can help them. When you present this to them in written words, you’re expressing your content differentiation factor. The Express Writers’ Story: How Breaking the Old-Fashioned Niche Marketing Strategy Made Success Possible If you’ve taken a freelance writing course, you’re familiar with this outdated statement: “Hyper-specialize, or you’ll never enjoy success.” To follow this advice, you need to pick one writing niche. For instance, email writing. Then, zero in on your potential clients. Let’s say it’s plumbers in Chicago. When you build your website, you’ll craft a headline like, “Email writer for plumbers in Chicago.” And that’s OK. Maybe one or two Chicago plumbers will need a bunch of emails written for them. But honestly, you’re limiting yourself and potential clients who NEED your services. At Express Writers, we do the opposite. Source: expresswriters.com We offer blogs, video scripts, white papers, ad copy, social media posts, and every type of content needed for a content marketing campaign… …to anyone in the world who needs it. So far, we’ve written for dog breeders in Canada, chiropractors and dentists in the U.S., marketers in England, and more! You can be anyone, anywhere in the world, and still order great content from us. The only “niche” you need to fit? The belief is that great content will do wonders for your brand. That’s it. And trust me, this open-bordered niche marketing strategy has led Express Writers from a tiny $75 startup to a thriving brand worth $5 million. Imagine what we would have been if we narrowed it down to “emails for 40-year-old lawyers in Austin, Texas.” How to Find Your Own Content Differentiation Factor Your CDF (content differentiation factor) is different from your USP (unique selling proposition). While your USP is what makes you different from your competitors… …your CDF is the unique way your present your brand. For example, take the keto restaurant in the introduction. Its USP: Delicious, keto-friendly food. Its CDF: Keto-friendly meals don’t have to be messy, time-consuming, and bland; we’ll create delicious, unique, healthy dishes for you as you relax and listen to soothing music. So, how do you find your own content differentiation factor? Here are three steps to follow. 1. Forget About Your Products or Services I know, products or services are the main reason your brand exists. But when finding your content differentiation factor, you need to set them in the background. Instead, think of how you’ll solve your audience’s problems in a unique way. Show them you’ll serve them better than your competitors. For instance, other keto-friendly restaurants already offer 100% organic ingredients. You can do the same, PLUS promise food that tastes better than the fried chicken at your customers’ favorite fast food chain. 2. Focus on Your Audience Sit down for a moment and step into your audience’s shoes. Imagine them. They believe in eating healthy. They believe in boycotting animal-based products. They’re exhausted from a long, busy workweek. They love delicious food. Trying new dishes and flavors excites them. Notice: it’s not about their age, background, race, or political affiliations. It’s about who they are, what they believe in, and how you can serve them. 3. Skip the Features, Focus on the Benefits Yes, you could … Read more