One of the best things I did for my virtual assistant business was niche down. And while you might have heard this term before, you might not know what it means (or why it is so important as a virtual assistant!) Finding a niche allows you to not just grow your business, but also get better quality clients. Plus, it makes your marketing SO much easier when you have a specific audience. If you try to target everyone, you are ultimately targeting no one. It’s way more lucrative to fine-tune your offerings. Plus, your clients can benefit because you have a laser-focused skill set and are an expert.

What is niching down?

Before I get started, let’s talk about the word niche. Niche means “products, services, or interests that appeal to a small, specialized section of the population.”

As a virtual assistant, Niching down comes in two big forms – One is niching the services you offer, and the other is niching down who you work with, or who your ideal client is. For example, you could be someone who only offers social media services for food bloggers, or who only offers Pinterest packages for travel guides. This is your Offer Niche – which is HOW you help, and what specific services you offer.

What are the benefits of finding your niche?

There are SO many benefits to niching down! These are my top 5 reasons.

1. Less competition – When you have a specific product or service, there will be fewer companies out there with the exact same offering! Which means you will naturally have less competition.
   
2. More visibility- This can lead to more clients and a better online presence. Businesses with a unique product or service tend to stand out, and allow you to move up in Google rankings easier. People in a niche tend to be in frequent contact with others in that niche, which means more opportunities to get the word out about your business.
   
3. Scalability – When you first get started, you are only one person! Focusing on niching on an industry or specific service offering can help you scale and grow. Big companies often start with one item. Amazon? They sold books.
   
4. Easier marketing – When you start to target your ideal client, and the services you are going to offer, you can start targeting them easier with your marketing! You will know where to find clients, and what #hastags to use, and what to message on your website.
   
5. Higher rates – By becoming an expert in your niche, you are able to increase your rates, because you are the expert in your field.
   

 

When I started to only work for wedding professionals, I became completely booked, raised my pricing, and it allowed me to grow a team! Another example? I had a girl in my course, The Creative VA Masterclass, get multiple inquiries within a week, all from changing her Instagram bio to say “virtual assistant for wedding professionals”. By really focusing her business on JUST wedding professionals, she has been able to grow, and will be leaving her 9-5 to take this on full time!

 

Want to learn all about niching down? Listen to my episode on The Support Squad Podcast – All about niching down!

 

Niching down your services

One misconception is that you have to niche down in both the service and the industry. I recommend starting with one, before tackling both at once. My advice? Niche down to your services first.

Step one: What is your passion, and what are you an expert in?

• Think about what you are the most knowledgeable in – what are some skills or industries that you stand out, and are a pro in?
• When you’re with people, think about the topics that you jump to. Or think about what people know you as – is it the fashionista who can find the best deal? Or the Pinterest pro with a growing email list?
• What are you good at? (talent, skill, knowledge)
  

 

Step two: Who is your ideal client? Who needs this service?

• Who is your ideal client avatar, and who your audience niche will be? This is one of the biggest ah-ha moments for those in my mentorship and course and has changed their businesses. By walking through who their ideal client is, they are able to niche into that market, and speak directly to their ideal client.
• Who has the problem that you solve, and what kind of person do you want to work with?
• What problems does your audience have? What keeps them up at night? Write out a list of things you think you can solve with your skills and passion.
  

 

Step three: What skills do you have that you can niche down and offer?

• Fine-tune your skillset and services you offer. By focusing on the services you love to do, vs the services you think you should be doing, you can really focus on niching your business.
  

 

Step four: What is the competition?

• Look at the competition.
• Who else is already solving this problem for this market, and are they dominating the space? Who is being underserved by the existing players in this market? What items can you offer that differ, or attract your ideal client more?
• Is there a way to differentiate yourself and create a unique offer? 

 

 

Why it’s So Important to Find Your Perfect Niche

One of the things I am most passionate about as a digital marketer and virtual assistant for wedding professionals is niching down. I have found that niching can grow your business so much quicker, and allow you better quality clients, that give you work that you love to do! Niche marketing is often easier than promoting to a wide audience. If you try to target everyone, you are ultimately targeting no one. It’s way more lucrative, and your clients can benefit because you have a laser-focused skill set and are an expert!  It is important to focus on what you love. When you get started, start broad, but take note of what you love doing, and fine-tune as you go!

For even more details on how to niche down, don’t forget to listen to my Podcast Episode on The Support Squad Podcast – where I cover all things Niching Down!