If you've ever been told that "the riches are in the niches," you've been misled. Let's dig into this idea a bit more and explore a different approach to marketing your small business without narrowing your focus to a specific niche.

Why the Niche Advice is Overrated

I understand why many marketers insist that you need to niche down to be successful. In fact, early in my career, someone told me the exact same thing: "The riches are in the niches." My initial response, being someone with ADHD and a former English tutor, was to correct their pronunciation of the word “niche.” While not the smartest thing to say, it highlights my skepticism towards this common advice.

Marketers tell you to niche down because niches are memorable. If your prospective customer can't remember you, they're not likely to buy from you. However, having a niche is not the only way to be memorable. If you're tired of being told to only serve a highly specific demographic like "women with purple hair who live in Ohio," then this perspective is for you.

Becoming Memorable without Niching Down

So, if you’re not going to niche down, how do you become memorable? One significant way is to play on emotion and uniqueness. If you’re doing the same things as everyone else in your industry—posting on social media, maintaining a website, attending networking events—then you’re not standing out. Here’s how to change that.

1. Develop an Emotionally Evocative Marketing Message

Your marketing message needs to evoke emotion. It should tell a story that makes your prospective buyers feel something. This message goes beyond your tagline, business name, or what you do for people. It’s the narrative you tell.

For example, my company, Grow Disrupt, puts on educational events for ADHD entrepreneurs. While we could focus on the custom scents, music, and coffees designed for the ADHD brain, our core message is different. Our message is: "You're brilliant and incredible,” and sometimes you lose track of that in your day-to-day life. We create space for you to reconnect with what makes you amazing and provide the tools you need to grow your business in a way that works for you."

2. Identify What You Love About Your Clients

To craft an emotionally evocative marketing message, start by asking yourself what you love about working with your ideal clients. Think about the clients you enjoy working with and what you love about them. This shouldn’t be something superficial like "they pay their bills on time."

For me, I love that the people who come to our events are passionate visionaries. They are individuals trying to change the world, whether it’s on a large scale or just within their own company. Understanding this helps us shape our message.

3. Understand What Your Clients Hate About Your Industry

Next, identify what your clients hate about your industry. This isn’t about what they dislike about working with you, but rather the frustrations they have with the industry as a whole. For Grow Disrupt, our clients hate events where they are constantly pitched to, crammed into rooms like sardines, and leave feeling exhausted with no actionable takeaways.

4. Define What You Actually Do

Finally, articulate what you actually do—not just your functional skills. For instance, Grow Disrupt produces events, but what we really do is provide space for entrepreneurs to reconnect with their vision and gain tools to grow their business. This deeper understanding of our true value is what resonates with our clients.

Crafting Your Unique Marketing Message

Once you’ve answered the above questions, blend your responses together into a cohesive message. Combine what you love about your clients, what they hate about your industry, and what you truly offer them.

For instance, our message might be: "Our guests are passionate visionaries who care about changing the world. They get frustrated with events that take advantage of them. We create space for them to reconnect with what makes them amazing and provide the tools they need to grow their business."

Stand Out by Being Different

To be memorable, you must differentiate yourself. Check out what your competition is doing. Look at their social media, websites, and marketing materials. Understand the stories they’re telling and ensure your message is unique.

Show, Don’t Just Tell

Remember, you need to show your message, not just tell it. Talk is cheap; people need to see your values in action. We show our commitment to our clients by producing TV shows, comic strips, and other content that adds value to their lives and reinforces their brilliance.

Emphasize Emotion Over Information

As small business owners, we often think our marketing needs to add informational value to people’s lives. However, information alone isn’t the best way to add value—it’s challenging to find the exact information your prospects want. Instead, focus on evoking emotions. We pay for emotions all the time through movies, books, and shows. It’s easier to trigger emotions than to provide the perfect piece of information.

Every time someone interacts with your brand and feels positive emotions, they build a positive brand experience. This makes them more likely to want to work with you.

The Wrap

By focusing on an emotionally evocative marketing message and ensuring your uniqueness, you can effectively market your small business without the need to niche down. Stand out by being different and by showing your values in action.

If you want to learn more about how to market your business better, visit TheStephanieScheller.com. Let's connect and create a marketing strategy that truly reflects your unique business and resonates with your audience!