3 Ways to Niche Your Creative Business

You've probably heard this advice before – you have to niche in order to attract clients more easily and scale your creative business. But how do you figure out the best way to niche your services? Is it really the best option? I'm gonna break it down for you into 3 different ways to niche your business, including the pros and cons of each so you can decide which one is really best for you. You can watch the video below or skip below to get a summary of each niche strategy ↓↓

No. 01 – Niche by Industry

This is when you decide to only work with clients in a specific industry or market. For example, you may want to only work with photographers or skincare brands because those are you favorites types of projects and you feel really confident working with those types of clients.

Pros: It's easier to be more specific with your marketing and copywriting since you can speak directly to that industry. It's also easier to know where to network + what spaces to show up in order to attract new clients. (like industry-specific podcasts, Facebook groups, virtual summits, etc.)

Cons: It can feel a little bit limiting, especially in saturated industries where everyone wants to look similar. You may not want to get stuck doing the same types of projects over and over again.

No. 02 – Niche by Style

This is when you develop a specific style for your work that clients come to you for. For example, your style might be minimal and uses mostly neutral colors. Or you might love to use hand-drawn patterns and illustrations for all your branding work and you naturally attract clients who want that same look. This is kind of the approach that I've taken. I like to work with lots of different clients, but if you look at my portfolio and IG feed, you can see that there's a distinct style that I always work in.

Pros: Clients tend to trust your vision a bit more. No more, "Here's what I want, can you make this?". They come to you because they've already seen your style and want something similar. So they're more likely to let you just do what you do best.

Cons: It can still be a bit broad and although it's fun to work with a variety of clients in different industries, it can be tough when you're casting such a big net. Also, your style might change!

No. 03 – Niche by Service

This is when you create a very specific type of service or package that only a certain type of client would need. For example, maybe you like working with product-based businesses, so you develop a custom package that includes things on those types of businesses would need (packaging design, product photography, etc.) and you heavily market that as a special service. Or maybe you like to launch really simple, quick websites. So you create a special "website in a week" service. Not every business wants a simple website like that, but the people who do will be eager to work with you since you've created that special service just for them.

Pros: It's very specific to a certain type of client that needs a certain type of service, which is easier to market. It can also help you present yourself as an expert in that specific service.

Cons: You may have to turn away more clients that need something outside of your niche service, whatever that is. (But that's kind of the point of niching)

When it comes to niching, there not necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution. Every business is different and it's up to you to decide was fits you the best and the types of projects that you want to attract. But hopefully these 3 strategies help you figure out which direction to take!