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Hi {first_name}!
Recently on social media, I asked what stops people from niching down within their business. One of the core components to creating a successful membership is the ability to niche down to the ideal member, so that you can help a specific type of person on the journey that they need. When a membership is too general, it runs the serious risk of having content that is too broad, and with that, a deeper sense of confusion for its members.
We see this often in the membership economy, and it leads to a higher level of members leaving, a lack of direction for members and frustration and confusion for the membership owners.
At the same time, memberships and communities that are niched and specific thrive because it is so much easier to attract the right people and to serve them the way they specifically want and need to be served. They don’t need to waste time, money and resources creating content for a wider audience because their audience wants and craves the specificity of what that membership brings. And it’s something that’s difficult for them to find elsewhere.
When I did this social media poll, I asked them to answer why they are afraid or shy away from niching down.
One of the most popular answers was that they were afraid of becoming bored because they wouldn’t have enough variety available to them by niching down.
It surprised them when I explained that they couldn’t be further from the truth. I truly believe that niching down allows you to be more creative, with more variety to pull from than not niching down at all.
I used an hourglass as an example.
When you see an hourglass, you see an object that is an oval at the top, and oval at the bottom and a small, narrow channel in between for the sand to flow through. When I view the decision whether to niche down or not, I show the hourglass as the example to study.
Picture the top of the hourglass. It’s wide open, with plenty of space. That is what creating a membership or a business is like before niching down. Wide open spaces where you can do nearly anything you want.
You’d like to do a YouTube channel on gardening? There’s space to do that. You’d like to blog about coffee as well? There’s space to do that. You’d like to create a community for teachers looking to make better lesson plans? You can do that as well. The problem is, even though you get to do all of these different things, it’s really confusing from the outside. All of these different things bunched together in this big area. Sure, you get your variety, but it’s at the cost of confusing your audience.
For those brave enough to niche down, they do the uncomfortable and brave act of moving through the narrow portal of the hourglass. That act of moving through the portal is the transformation from being a generalist to becoming a specific. When you go through that transformation, that is when you commit to a niche. You choose something specific that you will be known for and that you will lead on.
It’s one of the toughest parts of this journey for some. For others – those who know and are committed, it’s easy.
As painful as it might be, this decision is what will separate and elevate you from the endless number of generalists. You will now be known for something specific, and the content that you create will enforce that. From then on, you will be known for that niche.
Now, that doesn’t solve the initial problem discussed at the beginning of this newsletter. The idea that they will be “bored” from niching down. But here’s where that’s a fallacy.
Once you make it through that narrow niche portal, your space expands again. In fact, it is the same amount of space that you had before. But there is one huge difference.
Now, you get to create whatever you want within this specific niche.
Meaning, you get to go deeper into this niche than you were ever able to do before with so many different options. You get to study an area so well that all of your creativity and options return. This time, though, it’s with a specific focus and attention.
So, when it’s viewed from the outside, it makes a tremendous amount of sense. Your potential members know exactly what you are about. They see you as the authority and expert. They see you as serious and focused. They see you as one of the few that were able to make it through that tough transition and actually be known for something.
And as for being bored, it’s nearly impossible. You will have so many options to create on, because each new idea leads to three more new ones, that you wind up with an endless amount of content, products and options to offer.
So, if you find yourself scoffing at the idea of niching down because you will be bored, take a moment to consider that the act of niching down might give you more exciting and meaningful options than you have ever had before.
Have an AMAZING week!
Vincent
Click below to watch our latest YouTube video on this topic! |
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