Niche-Free: Why You Don't Need To Find A Strict Niche Right Away — Pretty Decent
#NicheFree: A state of being unburdened by business advice on the Internet.
1980's IBM advertisement c/o IBM. Found on Pinterest.This thought originally appeared on my website Pretty Decent, which I am slowly migrating here. The message has been adapted thanks to new knowledge and this badass new content platform, Steemit.
Pretty Decent started as my Instagram handle. I had to DM and offer to pay a boy for it. He obliged for free — apparently he was getting teased for it anyway.
Next, Pretty Decent was a personal blog.
Then it was a rap blog.
Finally I gave up and decided it was just a reflection of me.
On Instagram, I call Pretty Decent an “Internet Cafe.” I felt that was the most accurate way to describe it: a collection of images, quotes and content pieces that reflect the inner-workings of my brain.
The trouble is, and always has been, I have a thousand ideas spawning in my head at all times. One day I want to doodle about Jay-Z and Beyonce, the next day I want to talk about growing organic Instagram followers. There’s rarely a middle ground and hardly ever a definitive title for what I want my business (or my "personal brand," eugh) to become.
In the online business community, there’s a recurring piece of advice: find a niche.
I heard it in journalism school, too. Pick a niche, pick a trade, pick a beat. Choose one tiny community to serve, serve them well, and scale up.
The trouble comes when we feel like we’re perfectly capable of being everything to everyone all at once. How, then, do we decide which niche is right for us?
Better yet, how do we find a niche, decide on a platform, pick an Instagram business category, design a product, create a brand and a narrow down a target customer?
My advice: be niche-free.
Instead of building a community around your niche, build a community around you. Focus on your message and the passion in your heart. Either the Big Idea will come, or one of the Little Ideas will strike a chord.
In my experience both with my own community and the clients I’ve worked for, it’s not about the perfectly-worded catchphrase. It’s about you.
But wait, don’t I need to find a niche to be profitable?
Short answer? No.
Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think you should go off the rails. To quote Desus and Mero, the brand should always be strong. Your social feeds should reflect a common theme, and your content should always serve a purpose — even if that purpose is simply to inspire someone or make them smile.
Follow me on Instagram: @prettydecent
Being niche-free means not limiting yourself for the sake of profit.
If I blogged solely about blogging or digital marketing, I’m positive I would feel unfulfilled — despite the fact that I’m perfectly qualified to work in both of those mediums full-time. I’m also positive that my revenue streams would eventually dry up, because I lack the drive to continuously create content about work when I already work, like, all the time.
Yes, those courses and Pinterest-optimized blog posts that promise $5,000 a month are awesome, but making bank from technical writing doesn’t reflect the kind of brand I want to build. I’m guessing you probably feel me on that one.
What does being niche-free look like?
To be successful as a digital entrepreneur, you have to be open to every opportunity.
I’ve written about marketing, relationships, music and video production. I’ve written scripts for explainer videos, I’ve created infographics about the brain. I just finished a website for a skin care company and next I'm editing down videos for a marketing course. Just in the last two weeks, I learned about Steemit and it's completely revolutionized my 2018 content strategy.
This isn’t to say you can’t be incredibly profitable in one trade for one industry. Wedding photographers certainly bring home the bacon.
For me, however, and for a ton of creatives like me: that strict “find a niche and stick to it” model simply does not work.
Niche-free does not mean target-less.
I never stop talking about target customers. I’ll be the first person to DM you an Instagram ad I think was made just for you. These are the type of topics I geek out on: that a company can, through a process of elimination and data research, find exactly the person that will buy their product.
In my eyes, identifying the target customer will always the most important step in business. I know Pretty Decent’s target customer: she’s smart, ambitious, creative and probably listening to SZA right now. She may not have a business yet, but she will. And when she does, I’ll be right here to help her build it.
With the right sales funnel and the right target customer, I really believe anyone can make a living online. The Internet is bursting with opportunities for endorsements, partnerships and advertising revenue, should you choose to put your brand, whatever it is, in front of them.
Niche-free does not mean "stop planning."
Discipline yourself. Discipline your work week, your schedule, your morning routine. Find a message that resonates with you and the person you want to sell to, but don’t stress about strictly disciplining your creative output just for the sake of making some cash.
If I’ve targeted you right, you're smart, love the Internet and certainly don’t have it all figured out. Don’t let business coaches on the Internet make you feel like you need to. Be niche-free. Explore every possibility that pops into your beautiful, creative mind.
Practice here on Steemit and see what sticks. If the community you're looking for doesn't exist, find where they do hang out online and pull them here. Learn what they're searching for, what they're interested in. Find out who inspires them.
My truest business (and life) advice: be yourself. Create the content you'd be overjoyed to find, and I guarantee there are people out there who will be just as thrilled to find you.
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I agree so much it casually hurts.
I think it is better to be yourself then trying to fulfill a niche. There is nuance to this discussion but often I feel like I want to be in a platform to be myself rather than be the same thing over and over, human beings are dynamic - and people are weird - we ask for the same thing from creators but get upset when we get it - what we really want is most likely a combination of known and unknown.
Known being the creator, stable, the same creative spirit, the unknown is what they call forth from the beyond. I think a lot of people give the niche advice because it is easy to focus on something small, which is good - but you may let go of the niche or resent it.
When you build the community around yourself, you are will always have space to work around yourself, which I think is excellent advice. I think in the zeitgeist of internet marketing this is an excellent counter punch to the reality of the situation.
That's what I am trying do with my Steem profile, and I think you're doing the same as well -which is refreshing to see someone else attempt it.
Really high quality article, I've been impressed by everything you've done so far - keep it up.
Also the whole "personal brand" thing is going to be a joke in 5 years, guarantee it.
I always appreciate your comments so so much! I totally agree with you re: personal branding. I’m all for being meta, but I think it’s gone on a bit too far.
When the first thing people are asked to do is define themselves into one topic or beat, all it does is discourage the hyper-creative. It works when you’re truly passionate about something, my problem is I just always feel absurdly passionate about everything all at once!
Same!
I resonate with this quite a bit. I think particularly because I've heard so much about writing within a niche. I've done that by and large on my "personal" blog in which I write about ministry and evangelism and those kinds of topics. I just write about those things. But on here, really, I feel quite free. There are certain things that I'm really passionate about and I do want to be free to write about them or about something else that might come up.
This is the standout sentence for me from your post:
"Instead of building a community around your niche, build a community around you. Focus on your message and the passion in your heart."
Thank you.
P.S. I referenced you in my last post :)
I 100% agree with this! I just freed up time so that I can focus on my wide variety of passions and skills sets and this combination of all of these things make me who I am. Even with my own brand on instagram, I kind of struggled with it until I realized I can literally tie everything together which makes me (myself and my brand) make sense to the outside viewer. AND best of all, it is 100% authentically me!
Exactly! You get it. :) Thanks for commenting!
This very well written. I’m glad to hear it, too. I also have a hard time narrowing in on a niche. Good job, bear xo
Hey Lexi!
This is kind of breaking my brain a bit, I always thought niche was the way to go? I thought that people interested in that niche would then find you... I guess broadening your scope also broadens the people interested in your content... but doesn't it also kind of upset people when you create content that isn't aligned with their interests?
Also, as a total aside, your blog posts are amazing. Please let me know when you create something totally exclusive to Steemit with this same level of quality and I'll nominate you for the curie award.
Thanks!
Hi @aussieninja! Sorry for my late reply. To answer your question: I deeply believe in target customers, particularly the idea and practice that we should nail our messaging down to the one person we're talking to. In my case, it's usually myself -- but it's also this imaginary girl that thinks like me and needs my advice.
I'm very editorially-minded, and my style definitely wouldn't work for everyone. But for me, limiting myself creatively is and never has been the answer. Gotta let the chips fall as they may!
I will be sure to let you know when I publish something I think is good. Gotta find time in between all of this work :'(