Here’s the cold, hard truth: there’s a coach behind every tree and on every corner. It’s a rapidly growing industry, and there are many people out there – with the best of intentions – eager to help those seeking guidance.
The same is likely true for you. After all, you joined the global army of coaches for that reason, yes? To guide, to assist, to help mold, to empower.
But what makes you different from everyone else whose goal is to guide, assist and empower? What sets you apart?
Here’s where niche branding comes in.
Niche branding plays a massive role in the success of any business, but especially in coaching. Your brand is your asset – without a strong brand, your audience will miss you (or worse yet, ignore you) and seek out the services of a better-known brand, a more recognizable coach. It doesn’t mean that your competitor is better just because they have a bigger, brighter brand – it just means that they’ve connected with your audience in a targeted way. They’ve focused on your potential clients’ needs and expectations. As human behavior dictates, people go where everyone else goes – so a coach who has embraced niche branding will reap the benefits of crowd mentality and will dominate the marketplace.
So does this mean I have to talk about myself?
Niche branding isn’t actually about you. You don’t have to talk about your education, experience and results ad nauseum, although such details do help to back up your brand. Niche branding is actually about what you specialize in, and the people you serve.
When you decide to partake in niche branding, you will focus on how you market yourself, which will dictate how your customers will perceive you and your services. You can define and help influence this perception, and you’ll do that by getting to know your customers.
How do I get to know my customers if I don’t have them yet?
Consider that all consumers, across all industries, are endlessly informed and connected. They seek out reviews, compile information and express their opinions in ways like never before in history.
This means that you have to do some research on your target audiences: who are they? To what groups do they belong? What lifestyles do they enjoy? What are they interested in? When you can break down your customers in this way, you can imagine and design your brand in a way that speaks to them specifically. What experiences do you want them to have? How do they want your message distributed to them? What kind of content do they respond to, and on what platforms?
Think about it in this way: you’re making your customer feel as though your whole brand was conceived entirely for them.
For the ultimate in niche branding, put yourself in your clients’ shoes. How do you fill their need? What kind of relationship can you build with them even before they’ve booked a session with you?
Relationships are key – this is how you’ll get your customers, one by one, to be open with you about what they need and want. By focusing on your niche, and how their needs will be met, your name will quickly develop and rise above all others.