I still think niching down is better

It’s no secret that I am a strong supporter of niche marketing. I find it attracts the right type of clients and leads to more fulfilling work.

I’ve also seen that many people are opposed to it and they say that they can write a novel with the same quality that they can write regulatory documents. As a writer, this sounds very impressive to me and a high bar to meet.

The reason this approach is not for me is that I’m looking for clients that say “yes, this is the writer we’re looking for”.

We live in an era where AI can make anyone deliver good-enough results in almost anything that you can do with a computer. Writing, translation, photography, SEO, marketing strategy, etc., ask the chatbot and it will produce a decent response, but the thing is that it only looks good if you don’t know enough about that specific topic. We are now living perpetually under the Dunning–Kruger effect.

Why settle for clients that want “good enough”. If you like the type of work that you do, I guarantee you that the difficult bits are the most stimulating parts of the job.

I’m still working on it but here are some things that have helped me reach, and be found by, better clients:

1. Have a clear niche. Your marketing efforts should reflect what your niche is. Have your ideal client in mind every single time you sit down to do any type of marketing.

2. Be clear when you’re not a fit for a project, and refer to the right colleague. If you can, start rejecting projects that are not within your niche; it’s hard but clients notice it and it promotes trust.

3. Have clear boundaries. Part of being the expert is being able to juggle multiple clients at the same time, while fully dedicating the right amount of time to each one. Each client gets their own time slot. If a client needs something outside that slot, it needs to be scheduled. You are not just another vendor, don’t treat yourself as one.

4. Have a portfolio for your niche, not a general portfolio. Marketing is half the battle. Once a client asks to see your portfolio, it needs to live up to the hype created by your marketing. This is the make-it-or-break-it moment.

Are you team niche or team generalist? I’d love to hear where you stand and if you are aiming to move to one side or the other.