Small business owner, a blogger, or a company employee … we all try and find a way to see where we fit in. Fitting in is that anchor to grow. Determination is within and leads to great thoughts and ideas but popularity and notoriety fuels it. If no-one is listening then many abandon and stop seeking new channels to have people listen. Developing your niche is a trial and error. People react you continue and go with it and are flying high but continuing with it is not always easy.
6 Ways to Find Your Niche
1. Research. Read and read. Learn all you can about your industry and competitors. Not to be an “expert” as if there were really experts and guru’s there would be no competition. Learn to be knowledgeable and on top of what is changing.
2. Listen. Read the comments on every blog you read. Ok, not all on the popular blogs but skim – so much information is shared on comments.
3. Ask. Asking a verbal or in the virtual world, typing a question is a part if it but the silent question of trying something new, changing things up a bit and monitoring reactions and results is probably the best answer you will ever get.
4. Avoid “Big Name” Dropping. Name dropping of a “big name” is trying to make you important to the listener or in blogging garner new readers. Immediate gratification that equals a trust level of zero with the “big name” you dropped as you are in it to ride the coat tails. Drop a “small name” of a blogger you like or a company you purchase from.
5. Avoid Re-Posting with no Opinion. You find a great article and repost it with no opinion positive or negative is not giving insight of why you reposted. I love reposts with a reason why. Agree or disagree, explore and engage readers.
6. Help. Helping is more than holding a door open or sharing an article. Open your arms and mind to give a push to someone. It opens you up to see what people need and ultimately drives you to your niche.
Finding our niche and where we fit it is a part of success. Riding the coat tails of someone else is a limited run of a talker who scrambles to find the next big thing or name. So many want the fame and fortune but what about everything that goes with it – the hard work?
How have you developed your niche?
photo credit: Cantabringnesis