Remember when you first caught the entrepreneurial bug?

That spark of excitement when you realized you could create something of your own, make a real impact, and break free from the 9-5 grind.

But now, months (or maybe years) have passed, and you're still dreaming from the sidelines, watching others build thriving businesses.

You've got the passion and the ideas, but something's holding you back.

Maybe it's the fear of failure, the overwhelming number of options, or simply not knowing where to start.

I've been there too, paralyzed by the thought of making the wrong move. But I discovered a game-changing strategy that got me started.

Today, I'm going to share with you the secret that turns aspiring entrepreneurs into focused, confident business owners.

It's a framework that will help you find your niche, stand out in a crowded market, and build a business that resonates deeply with your ideal customers.

Let's dive in.

The Broad Market Trap

First off, let’s define a niche.

A niche is a specialized segment of the market for which you build content, products, or services.

The more specific your niche, the better.

But many entrepreneurs fall into the broad market trap.

Imagine being a street performer trying to captivate a busy crowd, shouting your message to everyone passing by, hoping someone will stop and listen.

In trying to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.

Your unique value is lost in the noise of the marketplace, and potential customers walk by, unaware of the solution you offer to their specific problem.

This is the broad market trap.

To escape it, you must niche down.

Consequences of Not Niching Down

By casting such a wide net, entrepreneurs dilute their authority and perceived value.

Entrepreneurs who don’t niche down also cannot charge premium prices, impacting their growth, profitability, and sustainability.

But the consequences run deeper than just your bottom line.

Without a clear niche, you’re constantly battling imposter syndrome.

How can you position yourself as an expert when your target audience is everyone?

This lack of focus breeds self-doubt, making it harder to confidently price your services and stand firm on your value.

You find yourself constantly competing on price, locked in a competitive race to the bottom.

The real tragedy? Your ideal clients – the ones who would happily pay premium prices for your specific expertise – are out there, searching for exactly what you offer.

But they can't find you.

The 4 Levels to Finding Your Niche

Let’s explore the 4 levels of niching down, and how this framework allows you to find your target audience and charge premium prices.

To illustrate, let’s say you want to start an online fitness business.

Level 1: The Broad Market Approach

To monetize your online fitness business, you will sell a 12-week transformation program.

You wouldn’t go out and try and sell your program to everybody.

Health is such a huge market, and everybody has different goals, experiences, and body types.

You’d be lost in an ocean of billions of fish, with no fishing rod, reel, or bait.

You might get lucky and make a few sales, but what’s the value of your program?

You might be able to charge $7 and get a few fish to bite.

Level 2: Narrowing Your Focus

Now, go down a level and target weight loss clients.

You’ve narrowed down your audience a bit.

Now you have a fishing rod.

Your program is a little more specialized.

Someone who’s looking for weight loss would be more interested in your program than a training program for “everyone”.

Now you could charge them $47.

Level 3: Targeting a Specific Audience

Now, go down another level and target weight loss for men who are former athletes.

You’re narrowing down the audience significantly and have a specific clientele to serve.

Now you have a fishing rod and a reel. You can catch some big fish.

A man who’s a former football player would be interested.

You can charge him $247.

Level 4: Hyper-Specific Niche

Now, go down one more level.

Target weight loss for men who are former athletes, with a program specializing in intermittent fasting and weight training.

Now we’re talking.

You’ve got a fishing rod, a strong reel, and delicious bait.

You’ll be perceived as extremely credible and trustworthy, and you can charge $997 for your program.

Now do you see what niching down means?

The further you niche down, the more specific your audience, the more likely it is you’ll attract your ideal customer, and the more money you can charge them.

Finding Your Niche Market of 1

Your niche market of 1 is the one specific person you are targeting.

For your online fitness program, it’s the former male athlete who wants to lose weight through intermittent fasting and weight training.

It should be a real person. Pull up their X or LinkedIn and study them.

Create all your content, marketing, and messaging for them.

As a personal anecdote, my niche market of 1 is ME.

Yes, your niche market of 1 can be you.

This is an undefeated strategy, because you are solving a problem you have personally faced, making you more credible and trustworthy, and maybe even elevating the chip on your shoulder.

So to recap, the benefits of niching down include:

• Increased perceived value and higher pricing

• Enhanced credibility and authority

• Reduced competition

• More targeted marketing efforts

• Easier to create tailored solutions

When consumers see your niched-down offer, they’ll think, wow, this is made specifically for me. And they’ll be all in.

Mindset Jujitsu.

As always, I love to chat with you guys! Reply back to this email or DM me on X (@markfrommktg) with any questions, feedback, or to simply kick it.

Thanks for being here.

Talk soon,

Mark