How can you specialize in a niche as a brand strategist?

Niching down isn’t about limiting your focus. It’s about amplifying your impact and value as a brand strategist. Here are a few benefits that will help you get and stay motivated around your niche: - By focusing on a specific type of client, industry, or challenge, you differentiate yourself from brand strategists offering broad solutions. Specializing builds your reputation and authority in your niche, leading to more business. - With specialized expertise, you can command higher fees. Clients pay a premium for niche knowledge that addresses their specific pain points and goals. - Targeting your ideal clients becomes easier when you tailor your message to their unique needs. This streamlines your marketing process.

To specialize in a niche as a brand strategist, choose a specific area or industry that you're passionate about, like tech, healthcare, or startups. Learn everything you can about that niche by attending events, connecting with experts, and researching its unique challenges and trends. Create content and offer services that cater to the needs of that niche and showcase your work through case studies. Collaborate with influencers and focus your marketing efforts on reaching your niche audience. Over time, you'll build a reputation as an expert in that niche, which can set you apart and attract clients looking for your specialized knowledge and skills.

Have you been to a restaurant? When sometimes you are confused, you ask the waiter. Please bring me the chef special. That's nothing down for you. You should have a specialty that sets you apart, levels up your entire positioning, and even helps you charge the premium. That's why you should niche down. Also, when you are speaking to everyone. You are speaking to no one.

You can, but I'm not sure you should. Brand strategy is still somewhat of a niche, especially in some parts of the world. Trying to target a specific industry, therefore, may slice the market too thin. That said, it can be helpful to show you have deep experience in an industry (especially if it's unique, esoteric, highly technical, etc.) or with a specific aspect of branding (e.g., naming, brand architecture). You may even find it helps you collaborate with other brand strategists who don't have similar expertise.

In trying to serve everyone, you end up serving no one, and fade into the background. It's only when you are intentional about what you do and for whom, that you stand out from everyone else.

Most people misunderstand the idea of niching. Look beyond industry or business type (B2B, B2C, D2C) and see what characteristics actually define your ideal customers. Your niche may be industry, but it could also be: - business size - business challenge - business structure (enterprise vs family-owned) - business stage - even business personality Look at your current ideal customers (those you want more of) and sift through the data to find trends that are true for all of them. That will give you an idea of your niche.

Inside, I was cringing, “No, don’t say that” I was thinking. Today, in our presentation workshop, 17 founders shared a 30sec networking pitch. Before the pitch, I asked them to define the intended audience for this pitch practice & their goals. What made me cringe? When a founder described their audience as “everyone.” This is a fatal mistake. I know because I’ve done it. You speak to everyone. You speak to no one. What’s the hardest thing about having a niche? Saying “no” to everything else. So many things you could do. But shouldn’t. A niche is only a niche because of the hyper-focus. The tight boundaries. A niche is like an hourglass. Wide. Thin. Wide. As soon as you niche, you realise how many people there are in the niche.

Discovering your niche is an ongoing journey, not a singular choice. Delve into the challenges and preferences of your clients, assessing market gaps aligning with your services. Define your ideal clients, understanding their characteristics, goals, and values. Validate your niche by researching the industry and audience, differentiating yourself from competitors. This iterative process of self-reflection, market analysis, and adaptation ensures a dynamic alignment between your expertise and the evolving needs of your chosen niche.

Don't niche like it's a grocery list; it's a dynamic dance. Nike didn't pick a niche; it carved a culture. Your niche isn't a static label; it's a living, breathing entity. Ask yourself questions; become Sherlock, not a spectator. Your niche isn't a safe harbor; it's a wild adventure. Solve client problems like a puzzle, not a chore. Validate with research, not assumptions. Google wasn't built on "I guess this might work." It's not a niche if it doesn't tango with your passion. So, make finding your niche a spicy salsa, not a bland checklist. Dance with it, or be a wallflower in the business ballroom.

Finding your special focus as a brand strategist means understanding your own strengths and what you love to do, and then seeing where that fits into the market. Start by thinking about what you’re good at and what you enjoy. Then, think about the problems and needs of the people you’ve worked with before. Look for areas where you can use your skills to fill gaps in the market. Think about who your perfect clients would be and research to make sure your idea has a good chance of succeeding in the real world. It's all about mixing what you love with what’s needed out there!

Everywhere your brand appears should be fully immersed in your niche focus – your company website, your LinkedIn, your presentations. It's these first impressions that help people who might come across you and your company connect you with your specific niche. Additionally, network and establish partnerships! There are plenty of other experts in your industry who have expertise or capabilities that complement yours.

To enhance your reputation and expand your reach within your niche, collaborate with respected figures within that specific industry. Partnerships with individuals who already hold credibility can provide valuable endorsements and access to their established networks.

“At first, I thought it was BS, but now I get it. It works. Thank you” The project manager at Cartier in Shanghai told me as we finished the presentation build project. We got it done. Coordinated all the teams to get their content in on time. Designed over 300 slides to feel Cartier. Facilitated multiple internal reviews so the leadership could make strategic decisions. We didn’t work crazy overtime. They trusted the process. The 8 Steps To Showtime, my presentation playbook, worked again. —— If you want to position yourself in a niche. Tell stories that go deep into the details. Be specific about stuff only an expert knows. Don’t describe generalities. Geek out. Go so deep it has to be niche. Tell expert stories.

Create Signature Frameworks - Develop your proprietary frameworks or methodologies specific to your niche. By doing this, you not only demonstrate your expertise but also offer a structured and recognizable approach that sets you apart. When clients see that you have a unique system for solving their problems, it enhances your authority and credibility within your niche. If you specialize in brand strategy for tech startups, you could design a "Tech-Branding Accelerator" framework that streamlines the process of creating and scaling tech brands. This not only distinguishes you but also provides a clear value proposition for your clients – they're not just getting a strategist; they're getting access to a proven, specialized system.

When you want to become known as the go-to expert in your niche, you must speak to that dream client in everything you do. Share stories about: - How you've solved their problems - How you've helped them achieve their goals - How you transformed a specific client Build authority by showing you understand them, their problems, and their goals.

Ask the same question you would ask your clients: what do you want to be known for? Think who , when, what, how… what’s at the intersection of your passion and the market need?

Identify an underserved niche with growth potential. A niche market seeking more specialized guidance can benefit from your strategic expertise. Look for gaps in the market your skills can fill. If competitors aren't meeting a specific need, you can establish your firm as the go-to for that niche. Examine your background and previous experience. Industries where you already have connections and knowledge will be easier to penetrate.

To specialize in a niche as a brand strategist: 1- Identify your interests and expertise. 2- Research your niche. 3- Choose a niche that is a good fit for you. 4- Develop your expertise. 5- Market yourself as a niche brand strategist. 6- Build relationships with clients in your niche. Some examples of niche areas that brand strategists can specialize in: - Industry-specific niches - Audience-specific niches - Problem-specific niches Additional tips: - Be consistent. - Be creative. - Be patient. By following these steps, you can specialize in a niche as a brand strategist and become a more valuable asset to your clients and position yourself as an expert in your field.

VOICE OF CUSTOMER. VOICE OF CUSTOMER. VOICE OF CUSTOMER. Did I say it loud enough? Brand strategy is about understanding the audience in an intimate way. This includes: Where they hang out (digitally or physically) How they talk What pain points they have What the key reason for decisions is And a whole lot more... The best place to be in B2B is marketing and branding towards something you used to be... Example for myself: I used to operate cannabis dispensaries, now I market to cannabis dispensaries a service they need.

Remember that niche doesn't necessarily mean industry or specialism. It can be the problem you solve. Most people get stuck trying to niche to an industry thinking they need to be focussing on accountants or the building trade. Then others think they need to just do a specialism. Many people have a similar problem and need your solution, you just need to communicate it in a specific way to compel them to want you to solve it for them.