Our niche – our target market – is really beginning to take shape now. And in the process we left behind a very large chunk of the world’s women. Why? Because they didn’t fit our product. Does that mean we can’t market to them. No. What it does mean is that our marketing dollars for Delightfully Blond will produce great results if we invest them to reach the niche we’ve identified.

Keep in mind that in this example our product determined our niche. The reverse is also possible. If we were observant enough to spot a common need in an identifiable group of women, a need that was un-served or grossly under-served, the need of that group, that market – that niche – would then determine the type of product we should research, create, produce and profitably market to that group, that previously undiscovered niche.

Niche marketing is, in reality, a profitable two-way street.

Whether you pronounce it “nitch” or “neesch” doesn’t make a bit of difference. The concept of targeting a small segment of a much larger group of potential buyers – based on the nature of your product or service – can make a huge difference on your bottom line.

It all goes back to that old marketing truism about you’re being better off hunting with a rifle than a shotgun. Odds are the buckshot from your shotgun blast will hit something, but a well aimed bullet from your rifle is virtually certain to hit your desired target.

“Niche,” by the way, has its roots in the French language. And most of us in the U.S. pronounce it “nitch.” Purists, however, along with lovers of French – not to be confused with French lovers – are correct when pronouncing it “neesch.” Either way, the ability of a business to define its niche, and to cater profitably to its needs, is certainly smart business.

“What’s a niche?” you ask. Well, creating a niche together might be the most memorable way to explain it – kind of by example. Let’s start with the largest possible consumer target market we can imagine – the entire human race. Now, let’s whittle it down to a manageable and profitable niche, OK?

Before we get too much further into the process, let’s define our “Stuff,” whatever it is we’re selling. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call it “Delightfully Blonde,” and make it a “brightening agent,” not a hair dye. And let’s say DB can convert even the dullest blond tresses into brilliantly blond locks with just a few drops of its magic formula, plus 30 seconds of gentle stroking with an ordinary hair brush. I know, ladies. “From my lips to God’s ears,” as the saying goes.

Oh, and did I mention that Delightfully Blonde is delightfully inexpensive to manufacture, package and deliver, but has a decidedly expensive retail price.

Anyway, the human race can be sorted using all kinds of kinds of criteria. There’s age, gender, skin color, language, location, etc., etc., etc. Let’s start splitting out humans by gender, male and female. Our target’s the ladies.

Why? Because, given how we described our product, it’s aimed at women, right? Its name, our choice of descriptions – brightening agent, tresses, magic formula, gentle brushing, dull blond, and brilliantly radiant. Those are the kinds of words most often used by, or to describe women, right?

Now, let’s get back to identifying our niche, our target audience, the particular group of humans we find ourselves wanting to sell to. Given the nature of our product, how we described it, we know we’re targeting women. But which ones? “All Women” is too big a market to manage, too expensive to reach, perhaps too difficult to supply. And too large a group to be called a niche. So we have to narrow our target a bit more. Put away the shotgun and zero in that rifle

Given our product, it makes sense that the women we’re after should be those who are already blond. This isn’t a hair dye, remember? It’s a “brightening agent” for blonds. A woman can’t be a “brighter blond” if she’s not a blond, right? Oh, and “brighter blond” is not an oxymoron. We’re talking strictly hair color here.

Back to the serious stuff. What else do we know for sure about our desired niche? Because of the way we’ve priced our product, we’re going to need ladies who have money, substantial discretionary dollars. That likely means we’re looking for well educated women, younger, probably single, and, therefore, probably childless, right? Interesting demographics.

Our niche – our target market – is really beginning to take shape now. And in the process we left behind a very large chunk of the world’s women. Why? Because they didn’t fit our product. Does that mean we can’t market to them. No. What it does mean is that our marketing dollars for Delightfully Blond will produce great results if we invest them to reach the niche we’ve identified.

Keep in mind that in this example our product determined our niche. The reverse is also possible. If we were observant enough to spot a common need in an identifiable group of women, a need that was un-served or grossly under-served, the need of that group, that market – that niche – would then determine the type of product we should research, create, produce and profitably market to that group, that previously undiscovered niche.

Niche marketing is, in reality, a profitable two-way street.

business.

“What’s a niche?” you ask. Well, creating a niche together might be the most memorable way to explain it – kind of by example. Let’s start with the largest possible consumer target market we can imagine – the entire human race. Now, let’s whittle it down to a manageable and profitable niche, OK?

Before we get too much further into the process, let’s define our “Stuff,” whatever it is we’re selling. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call it “Delightfully Blonde,” and make it a “brightening agent,” not a hair dye. And let’s say DB can convert even the dullest blond tresses into brilliantly blond locks with just a few drops of its magic formula, plus 30 seconds of gentle stroking with an ordinary hair brush. I know, ladies. “From my lips to God’s ears,” as the saying goes.

Oh, and did I mention that Delightfully Blonde is delightfully inexpensive to manufacture, package and deliver, but has a decidedly expensive retail price.

Anyway, the human race can be sorted using all kinds of kinds of criteria. There’s age, gender, skin color, language, location, etc., etc., etc. Let’s start splitting out humans by gender, male and female. Our target’s the ladies.

Why? Because, given how we described our product, it’s aimed at women, right? Its name, our choice of descriptions – brightening agent, tresses, magic formula, gentle brushing, dull blond, and brilliantly radiant. Those are the kinds of words most often used by, or to describe women, right?

Now, let’s get back to identifying our niche, our target audience, the particular group of humans we find ourselves wanting to sell to. Given the nature of our product, how we described it, we know we’re targeting women. But which ones? “All Women” is too big a market to manage, too expensive to reach, perhaps too difficult to supply. And too large a group to be called a niche. So we have to narrow our target a bit more. Put away the shotgun and zero in that rifle

Given our product, it makes sense that the women we’re after should be those who are already blond. This isn’t a hair dye, remember? It’s a “brightening agent” for blonds. A woman can’t be a “brighter blond” if she’s not a blond, right? Oh, and “brighter blond” is not an oxymoron. We’re talking strictly hair color here.

Back to the serious stuff. What else do we know for sure about our desired niche? Because of the way we’ve priced our product, we’re going to need ladies who have money, substantial discretionary dollars. That likely means we’re looking for well educated women, younger, probably single, and, therefore, probably childless, right? Interesting demographics.

Our niche – our target market – is really beginning to take shape now. And in the process we left behind a very large chunk of the world’s women. Why? Because they didn’t fit our product. Does that mean we can’t market to them. No. What it does mean is that our marketing dollars for Delightfully Blond will produce great results if we invest them to reach the niche we’ve identified.

Keep in mind that in this example our product determined our niche. The reverse is also possible. If we were observant enough to spot a common need in an identifiable group of women, a need that was un-served or grossly under-served, the need of that group, that market – that niche – would then determine the type of product we should research, create, produce and profitably market to that group, that previously undiscovered niche.

Niche marketing is, in reality, a profitable two-way street.

acture, package and deliver, but has a decidedly expensive retail price.

Anyway, the human race can be sorted using all kinds of kinds of criteria. There’s age, gender, skin color, language, location, etc., etc., etc. Let’s start splitting out humans by gender, male and female. Our target’s the ladies.

Why? Because, given how we described our product, it’s aimed at women, right? Its name, our choice of descriptions – brightening agent, tresses, magic formula, gentle brushing, dull blond, and brilliantly radiant. Those are the kinds of words most often used by, or to describe women, right?

Now, let’s get back to identifying our niche, our target audience, the particular group of humans we find ourselves wanting to sell to. Given the nature of our product, how we described it, we know we’re targeting women. But which ones? “All Women” is too big a market to manage, too expensive to reach, perhaps too difficult to supply. And too large a group to be called a niche. So we have to narrow our target a bit more. Put away the shotgun and zero in that rifle

Given our product, it makes sense that the women we’re after should be those who are already blond. This isn’t a hair dye, remember? It’s a “brightening agent” for blonds. A woman can’t be a “brighter blond” if she’s not a blond, right? Oh, and “brighter blond” is not an oxymoron. We’re talking strictly hair color here.

Back to the serious stuff. What else do we know for sure about our desired niche? Because of the way we’ve priced our product, we’re going to need ladies who have money, substantial discretionary dollars. That likely means we’re looking for well educated women, younger, probably single, and, therefore, probably childless, right? Interesting demographics.

Our niche – our target market – is really beginning to take shape now. And in the process we left behind a very large chunk of the world’s women. Why? Because they didn’t fit our product. Does that mean we can’t market to them. No. What it does mean is that our marketing dollars for Delightfully Blond will produce great results if we invest them to reach the niche we’ve identified.

Keep in mind that in this example our product determined our niche. The reverse is also possible. If we were observant enough to spot a common need in an identifiable group of women, a need that was un-served or grossly under-served, the need of that group, that market – that niche – would then determine the type of product we should research, create, produce and profitably market to that group, that previously undiscovered niche.

Niche marketing is, in reality, a profitable two-way street.

, too expensive to reach, perhaps too difficult to supply. And too large a group to be called a niche. So we have to narrow our target a bit more. Put away the shotgun and zero in that rifle

Given our product, it makes sense that the women we’re after should be those who are already blond. This isn’t a hair dye, remember? It’s a “brightening agent” for blonds. A woman can’t be a “brighter blond” if she’s not a blond, right? Oh, and “brighter blond” is not an oxymoron. We’re talking strictly hair color here.

Back to the serious stuff. What else do we know for sure about our desired niche? Because of the way we’ve priced our product, we’re going to need ladies who have money, substantial discretionary dollars. That likely means we’re looking for well educated women, younger, probably single, and, therefore, probably childless, right? Interesting demographics.

Our niche – our target market – is really beginning to take shape now. And in the process we left behind a very large chunk of the world’s women. Why? Because they didn’t fit our product. Does that mean we can’t market to them. No. What it does mean is that our marketing dollars for Delightfully Blond will produce great results if we invest them to reach the niche we’ve identified.

Keep in mind that in this example our product determined our niche. The reverse is also possible. If we were observant enough to spot a common need in an identifiable group of women, a need that was un-served or grossly under-served, the need of that group, that market – that niche – would then determine the type of product we should research, create, produce and profitably market to that group, that previously undiscovered niche.

Niche marketing is, in reality, a profitable two-way street.

Our niche – our target market – is really beginning to take shape now. And in the process we left behind a very large chunk of the world’s women. Why? Because they didn’t fit our product. Does that mean we can’t market to them. No. What it does mean is that our marketing dollars for Delightfully Blond will produce great results if we invest them to reach the niche we’ve identified.

Keep in mind that in this example our product determined our niche. The reverse is also possible. If we were observant enough to spot a common need in an identifiable group of women, a need that was un-served or grossly under-served, the need of that group, that market – that niche – would then determine the type of product we should research, create, produce and profitably market to that group, that previously undiscovered niche.

Niche marketing is, in reality, a profitable two-way street. The product can determine the niche, or the needs of the niche can give life to a product.