Instead of marketing training courses with the objective of satisfying a maximum number of people for a small part of their needs, we will see how to identify a market niche beforehand in order to be able to respond effectively to the needs and expectations of your customers.
Why focus on a niche market?
When you have studied your competitors, you must have seen how large a market can be.
In a market such as computer training, you understand that no matter how broad your skills are, you can't train in all areas.
You can't meet the needs of an entire market. This is where the concept of segmentation comes from.
Segmentation is the process of dividing a market with heterogeneous needs into smaller, homogeneous groups (segments) in order to apply specific strategies.
By dividing a market into segments, one finds segments, by dividing segments one finds niches. And by subdividing a market niche, we find flesh-and-blood customers, a person unlike any other, with his or her own needs and expectations.
The golden rule for choosing your market niche
The mistake not to make in internet marketingThe mistake to be avoided is to choose only one market niche for its "profitability". Of course, the profitability of the chosen market is of great importance... But it is one of the factors to be taken into consideration.
The choice of your market niche is directly linked to your business idea.
On a thematic:
- To which you attach great importance.
- In relation to your skills and strengths.
- Where you are prepared to manage it in the long term.
- That meets a need, a demand.
A market niche will only be an opportunity for you if it is closely related to your expertise. What can you do?
Internet Marketing
⇒ Examples of market nichesIn the business world, training topics are very diverse. Unfortunately, on the Internet, I notice that the situation is different for online training courses for individuals or individual entrepreneurs.
Three markets cover the vast majority of training courses on the Web:
- al development
- Entrepreneurship on the Internet
- Financial independence
A thousand and one adult training courses for individuals or self-employed people can be deployed, or be more present on the Internet market, on a wide variety of subjects.
Your interest is therefore to choose a market segment and to specialize in a promising niche (a specific sub-theme coupled with a specific clientele / I will come back to this...).
The following is a list of 11 markets to be exploited and its associated market segments
This list is not exhaustive...:
digital marketing strategy
1 - Arts & General Culture- Plastic Arts
- Literature
- History & Geography
- Music
- Philosophy
- Photography
Case in point. Market segment: plastic arts
Niches to be exploited: architecture, painting, sculpture. drawing, engraving
2 - Personal development
- Affirmation, confidence, and self-esteem
- Family & Education
- Stress Management & Wellness
- Emotion Management
- Hypnosis
- Procrastination
- Positive Psychology
- Sophrology
3 - Professional efficiency
- Communicating well
- Time Management & Organization
- Innovation & Creativity
- Leadership & Management
- Commercial performance
- Human Resources
- Find a job
Niches to exploit: conflict management, event communication, press relations, successful remote interviews, gestural communication, etc.
4 - Entrepreneurship
- administrative & Accounting
- Starting a business
- Business Law
- Business Management & Taxation
- Marketing & Communication
- Strategy & Financing
Niches to exploit: becoming a freelancer, starting a start-up, setting up a franchise, etc.
5 - IT & Internet
- Programming languages: HTML, PHP, etc.
- Website creation & CMS :
- Creation of videos & Audios
- Design & Project Management
- Design & Computer Graphics
- Web ergonomics
- Hosting
- Mobiles and tablets
- Security
Niches to exploit: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.
6 - Foreign languages
- English
- German
- Spanish
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Etc.
Niches to be exploited: test preparation (TOEIC, TOEFL, etc.), English courses for IT, finance, business, etc.
7 - Office automation tools
- Customer database
- Documents and forms
- Emails and communication
- Project management and monitoring
- Graphics & Design
- Collaborative tools
- Presentations and slideshows
- Spreadsheets & Accounting Operating Systems
Case in point. Market Segment: Graphics & Design
Niches to exploit: photoshop, motion design, illustrator, etc.
8 - Life and earth sciences
- Biotechnologies
- Biology
- Cultures & Botany
- Ecology & Environment
- Medicine & Health
- Nutrition
- Zoology
Niches to exploit: organic gardening, permaculture, eco-construction, renewable energies, sustainable development, etc.
9 - Educational science
- E-learning, techno-pedagogy
- Training of trainers
- Training management
- Pedagogy
- Case in point. Market Segment: E-learning, techno-education
Niches to exploit: Setting up an e-learning or Blended-Learning device by choosing a specific LMS, etc.
10 - Science & Engineering
- Electricity & Electronics
- Mathematics
- Mechanics
- Physics & Chemistry
Niches to be exploited: realization of an electrical installation for a house, electrical habilitation, connected solutions, etc.
11 - Web marketing
- Acquisition & Conversion
- Analytics & Statistics
- Affiliate Marketing
- Content Marketing & Blogging
- E-commerce
- E-mailing
- Social networks
- SEO & Search Engine Optimization
- Internet traffic
Niches to exploit: emailing strategy, email automation associated with a specific tool (Mailchimp, Aweber...), etc.
There are a lot of leads to explore, aren't there? One more reason to exploit a profitable niche market in face-to-face and still little exploited on the Web.
Whatever the niche you want to exploit, I strongly recommend you to study your competitors (the previous step) in order to position your offer on the right niche.
Important
And above all, don't forget the golden rule: choose a market niche that suits you! This is essential...
Otherwise, you may not have the skills to differentiate yourself from what already exists! This is a major mistake to avoid... and one that is often made.
The winning approach to develop a specific and attractive offer
Let's now look at an approach for developing a specific offer based on customer segmentation.
Let's imagine that you are a digital marketing trainer:
- Your global market is your area of expertise: web marketing.
- Your market segment can be a theme: social networks
- A sub-theme, like "Facebook ad campaigns".
- And a type of clientele, like "startups".
My advice to get your digital marketing strategy off to a good start is to choose from the start a market niche + a specific customer base (one or two "persona") to focus on.
And not a market segment that targets Mr. Everybody (you understand the difference?).
Make this choice based on the study of competitors and customers.
- Focus on specific issues in your niche.
- One by one, create specific training modules that respond to an issue.
- Capitalize on customer feedback to refine your training.
- Gradually combine the modules you have created into a complete, specialized training path.
All the problems and/or needs of your niche can be the subject of a training course.
The approach of this method is that you can provide, little by little, to your customer's different pieces of training meeting their expectations, an approach where your customers will naturally be interested in your offers.
How to plan and aim "big"?
⇒ Start small...We have seen that a niche, by definition, is a small market. By targeting a narrow customer base, you understand that you are blocking your growth potential.
To overcome this problem and increase your chances of growth, my advice is to start small, understand your customers' needs, and aim "big" in the medium to long term.
In other words, in the future, plan to meet the needs of a market segment rather than a niche market. Little by little!
It's a matter of planning
Step 1: Start "small" by focusing your energy on a single training path to fully understand your customers' needs.Step 2: Make sure your sales process is optimal and the relationship of trust is well established.
Step 3: Aim "big" by duplicating what has made you successful in other niches, other types of needs. To achieve rapid growth in your business, it is important to continue what works and multiply it.
Step 4: Plan the development of several training paths, possibly in partnership with other trainers.
The evolution of your offers will allow you to sell to your existing customers and thus strengthen the growth and profitability of your business.
It is five times more profitable to retain a customer than to win a new one.
Provide what people really want rather than targeting a large audience that may not be interested in your offer.
Focus on your client's interests. Your company should not be "product-centric" but "customer-centric".
Concentrate 100% of your energy on one course before moving on to the next.
The mistake that should not be made is, therefore, to try to tackle a global market
Rather than trying to penetrate a market, be sure to look for your niche, your specialization.For example, I want to launch an Adwords ad, I would trust a web marketer specialized in this theme much more than a generalist web marketer.
I want to learn how to create a WordPress blog, I would trust a web designer specialized in this theme much more than a general web designer...
It's up to you to identify the area that you like the most and in which you are the most competent while following a commercial logic (an area that meets a need and is profitable).
Thus, from the outset, you will be in a good position to create qualified traffic flow to your website and develop your turnover.
It's up to you to identify what type of customers you want to work with. Then specialize to meet their specific needs.
It is by specializing that you will be able to:
- Enhance your expertise in a specific field.
- Focus your promotional efforts on a well-defined target.
- Differentiate yourself from the competition.
The idea is simple, but few really make the effort of this reflection.
⇒ The direct consequence is simple: the web is invaded by trainer-consultants who know how to do everything and therefore target everyone.
⇒ How to Find a Niche Market? Kick-start Your New Marketing Plan! Indispensable for taking real action and succeeding...
Specialize to make a difference!
Don't try to please everyone, meet the needs of your ideal customer.
Today, specialization is essential. The future will belong to consultant trainers who have defined a niche more precisely than others.
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