Find your niche and shout what you specialize in from the rooftops. Not only should you pick an area to be an expert in but you should even choose who you are an expert to. Who is the person you will work with? Who is the decision maker?



Let's say you've already decided on an area or niche to specialize in. You also need to know who the target market within that niche is. It could be women over 50 that are at high risk for developing heart disease if you are a healthcare facility. Or it could be the marketing director for business's that work with alternative medicines if you are a copywriter. The key to successfully marketing your business is to be extremely specific and know the person you are selling your services to.

We all hear about how important being identified as an expert in one particular area is, but how many of us have really been brave enough to say "this is who I serve" -- knowing it could turn some business away.

I know that putting a stake in the ground and declaring "this is what I do and who I serve" can be scary. You may be concerned that you don't know which niche is right for you. Or that there may not be work in a niche once you've chosen it. But let me assure you from experience the benefits of specializing in one area far outweigh any disadvantages that come along with it.

Let's take a look at some of the advantages for a business that declares an area of expertise, or a very specific niche:

-Helps you clearly identify and target your ideal client

-You are seen as an expert

-You can charge more because you are an expert

-You'll find your work is easier because you learn the industry slang

-Marketing is easier. Because you have a specific target market it's much easier to identify a prospects pain and address how you can fix that. Can your marketing address issues in other markets or related fields? Sure. Can you take work in that field? Absolutely!

-Smaller market segments are easier to market to

-No matter what you do differentiating yourself is not easy. Being specific about who you serve and choosing a niche clearly, narrows down the choices for your prospects and more clearly identifies who your competition is.

So no matter what your concerns, think about these many benefits and how much easier it will be for your ideal clients to find you once they know who you are; once you've told them that you are here specifically to help them solve their problem.

Copyright 2006 Kelly Robbins