Is Niching Bad for Business? Find Out Here.

Feb 21

If you've hung around me or my content long enough, then you know I'm ALL ABOUT niching. It's how you find out who your audience is and what kind of problems you have the solutions for. Knowing this is super important — you don't want to just talk to the void!

There are millions of videos out there, and you want to make sure you get seen. But if I'm being honest, something I've noticed lately in the YouTube community is bothering me.

Yep, over-niching is a real problem! It could be doing you more harm than good by stifling your reach and stunting your channel's growth.

The Problem With Niching

Let me rephrase — niching isn't a bad thing. You need to get to know your audience down to a T to offer them real solutions. But there is such a thing as over-niching. I may be making that word up, but it’s still real.

As content creators, if we're too focused on talking directly to the select few, what ends up happening is BURNOUT not only for you from having to talk about the same thing repeatedly, but for your audience for having to hear it over and over.

Sure, get some vids out there that talk about topics that are consistently performing well. Just don't let it be the only thing you talk about. Balance is key.

What do I mean by that?

When I first started my YouTube channel, all I did was talk about creating a YouTube channel. It worked for a while, but it stalled my business from really going anywhere because I wasn't doing anything to expand my audience.

I needed to cast a wider net to get to that next level, so I started talking about topics that were still relevant but offered variety — content planning, how to make money in your business, setting goals.

The Sales Funnel

You need to think about how to grow your audience in terms of a funnel because you're "funneling" them into your offers. A sales funnel consists of three subsets of your audience:

Through this funnel, you're leading them to your solution (membership, working 1-on-1 with you, etc.). You can't focus on the answer right away because your broader audience may not even know there is a solution out there. How will they know what to search if your content is too specific?

One way I like to tackle my content planning while keeping this sales funnel in mind is to knock out my videos using the firework approach. The main thing is this: one core video serves as the base for all of your other videos to generate more leads.

You have one video that directs your audience to somewhere like your membership sales page or your new online course. The rest of your videos (four to six) are called "spark videos" and send your audience back to that core video to make a sale.

Essentially, it's a way to keep your net cast wide, while reeling in potential customers.

Your Target Audience

When thinking about your target audience, you need to understand what solution you are offering by FIRST understanding their pain points. This isn't the time to get specific because your audience is not yet solution aware.

First, get in the mindset of your audience. What problems do they face? What are their pain points? What type of solutions would they be looking for? Remember, you have to take them on a journey before they convert.

Videos that target your target audience are more discoverable and are likely to get more views over a longer period of time than ones that target your niche because you are talking to a broader range of people. That's how they make their way down the funnel.

Your Ideal Client/Customer

Once a viewer has reached the phase of "ideal customer," they are looking for a solution. They have a better idea of what it is they need, so they will be searching more specifically. Now is the time to nail in their problems by incorporating keywords into your titles and descriptions. You'll also start to drip in your offers by offering a solution for their problem.

You want to still give the video enough information to stay searchable, but you can start to add more detail here.

Don't want to give away all your secrets for free? You don't have to! Just keep the key points and don't go too much into detail. Think about it like a lead magnet. You're giving just enough information to hook people in, but not so much that you're left without profit.

PRO TIP: Direct your call to action in your videos during this stage to lead magnets! By doing this, you're doubling the efficiency of content you've already produced.

Your Niche

This is where your audience is completely solution aware and where "I help" statements become especially useful (ex: I help entrepreneurs start their YouTube channel in less than 30 days). They've made their way down the funnel journey and are ready to buy.

These videos are what I call the "core videos," but they won't have as many views as the other "spark videos." But that's okay — they don't need to. Your niche audience is already ready to buy because they know what their problem is and which solution they need (a.k.a yours!).

Your solution could be your membership, your new course, or a 1-on-1 coaching session. Either way, in the core video, include your offers (at the end of the video), so you can drive home those sales!

Segment Your Audience

If you're just starting out on YouTube, it's understandable that you're not going to know how to segment your audience right away. My solution? Start creating videos. That's it! Just get something out there.

GASP! But… that's not strategic!

Actually, it's pretty strategic (and more fun)! This is a way for you to find out what type of videos you enjoy recording. There's no point in running yourself dry trying to keep up with content that doesn't spark joy (yes, I did just watch Marie Kondo's Netflix show for the fourth time yesterday). It will come across in your videos, and it isn't a sustainable way to scale.

Just start brainstorming ideas and dump them all onto paper (or a really great project management software like Asana). Start to notice categories or themes and divide them out.

Once you start making videos, you'll be able to see what's performing well and go from there.

Need Help Getting Started With YouTube?

The details can be daunting. For years I was a one-woman show and definitely felt the pressure daily to do it all on my own. The struggle was real! I had to learn the hard way that your YouTube channel does the work for you when you have a solid foundation.

I'd hate to see you have to go through that same frustration and constant burnout. So if you're just getting started on your YouTube channel, instead of venturing out into the wild, drop those hiking boots and grab a seat — I'm laying down my best strategies to harness the power of YouTube!