Navigating the Niching Journey: A Guide for Coaches
Niching is hard.
It can be one of the hardest things to figure out as a coach or service-based provider.
You have to pick ONE person with ONE problem and offer ONE solution to that problem.
This can lead to resistance and chronic overthinking.
When I first finished my coach certification program, I hated the idea of picking a niche. I didn’t want to feel limited or pick the wrong niche.
The decision felt so final.
I also knew I needed clients. I kept hearing, “If you want clients to sign up for your offer, they need to see themselves reflected in it first.”
I heard phrases like…
“Broad is broke.”
“Specificity sells.”
“Narrow your niche, expand your reach.”
Personally, I went from health and wellness coach to transformational coach to what I do now:
Copywriting coaching and website design for coaches and creatives who want to create a personality-filled and values-based website that feels authentic to them and speaks to their ideal client.
That right there 👆 is my niche.
Reaching this point of clarity took me almost 5 years though.
Niching can take a long time, but it can profoundly impact your coaching business.
So, what exactly is a niche?
A niche is who you help and what you help them with.
The secret to the most successful niches? Filling a need that allows you to do work that’s in your zone of genius and brings you joy.
5 Benefits of Having a Niche
1. It’s easier to describe your work
When I was in my “I want to help everyone” coaching phase, I dreaded being asked what I did for work. I would stumble over my words and slowly feel my cheeks turning red as I tried to describe what I did.
Now, I actually look forward to telling people what I do!
2. It’s easier for people to refer you
If you can clearly describe what you do, others will be able to recognize when someone else needs what you offer:
“Oh, you’re struggling to exercise consistently? I know someone who can help you with that!”
3. It’s easier for people to find you online
People search for specific things. If you’re specific in your website copy, blogs, and social media posts, it will be a lot easier for people to find you.
4. It makes you more credible
If you were miserable in your line of work and wanted to hire a career coach to navigate a big career change, how would you feel if they were also a health coach, a business coach, and a parenting coach? It helps build credibility if you're known for ONE thing and develop your expertise in it.
That said, I know many of you are multi-passionate solopreneurs that have many interests, which is great. But in terms of marketing your services, being specific is extremely helpful, especially at the beginning.
5. It’s easier to write your website copy, blog posts, sales pages, and social media content.
When you have a clear audience, you know and understand who you’re speaking to. You know what they struggle with and what their ideal solution would be. This makes your copy and content relevant, helpful, and much easier (and more enjoyable) to write.
It all starts with your mindset. Be patient with yourself and trust the process. If you keep at it, I believe you’ll find your ideal niche.
5 Tips to Help You Find Your Niche
1. Start by asking yourself this question:
When I was starting my coaching journey, Alex Baisley from the Big Dream Program (www.bigdreamprogram.com) asked me this question and my answer offered me the biggest insight into WHO I wanted to work with.
Here it goes…
“If you were stuck inside a coffee shop for 4 hours, what kind of people would you want to be stuck there with and what would you all be doing?
When I did this exercise, I thought, “That’s easy, I’d be talking with other coaches!” And that’s exactly who I work with now.
This exercise will help you figure out WHO you want to work with and possibly HOW you want to work with them.
2. Experiment, experiment, experiment!
Try out different coaching offers.
Pick an interest and incorporate it into your coaching offer.
→ If you’re an empty-nester who’s passionate about life purpose, you could create an offer for empty nesting women who are wanting to find their purpose in life beyond motherhood, like my past client and friend Jennifer James did.
→ Do you love art? How about leading your clients through an experience helping them to connect to their emotions through painting like my friend Eugenia Herrera from Flow on Pages did.
→ I once experimented with a 2-part workshop that helped people discover their values through photography.
TIP: Think about your interests. Are there any you would like to create a specific coaching offer around?
The cool thing about this is that you can experiment with different niches without having to “marry” any of them.
3. Market Research Interviews
Invite people to do market research interviews with you, or what Allegra Stein calls a Conversation Project.
TIP: Pick a topic that interests you and invite people to jump on a call with you.
For example, “Hey, I’m doing market research on stress relief for high achievers, would you be up for a 20-minute call where I ask you questions about it?”
I’ve found that people love to talk about what they think!
And you have the opportunity to see what topics light you up.
You can also use your notes from these interviews for your copy. The best copy comes from our ideal clients!
Totally optional, but you can offer an express coaching session or gift card as a thank you.
4. Uncover your Strengths
Your innate talents define your priorities and can serve as a compass pointing you in the right direction.
TIP: It’s usually hard to “read the label when you're inside the jar.” Try doing a strengths assessment like
→ Clifton Strengths (www.gallup.com)
→ VIA (www.viacharacter.org)
If you want a really comprehensive approach, try
→ YouMap–a 4-part assessment that uncovers your strengths, values, skills, and personality-based interests (www.myyoumap.com)
5. Define Your Values
Explore what matters most to you and align your niche with your values.
TIP: Do a values exercise.
Choose your top 10 values from a values list (you can find lots online).
Narrow it down to the 3-5 top values in your coaching.
Reflect on…
How do these values show up in my coaching practice?
Is it important for my ideal clients to value these things as well?
There’s no secret niching recipe. Instead, I encourage you to keep experimenting and reflecting on those experiments.
2 Website Copy Workarounds (for when you don’t have a specific niche)
1. Highlight your unique approach and point of view that set you apart from other coaches or service providers.
2. Talk about your own story and transformation. This humanizes you and creates a deeper connection with your audience—it’s like saying “I’ve been there, I get it, I can help you.”
Unfortunately, there’s no secret recipe or magic bullet when it comes to niching.
I know the niching journey can feel like driving in heavy fog—you can’t see anything except what’s right in front of you. But if you keep working towards the clarity you’re seeking, I bet that one day you’ll look back and see how all the dots connect.
