I Learned About The Best Niche From This Stupid Mistake
I was stumbling around confused and too afraid to go home.
I knew if I didn’t get this right, there would be hell to pay!
I was in Publix with a scribbled list of ingredients for a mango salsa recipe.
I had everything I needed. Everything that is, but one last item.
I scribbled it in a hurry and I couldn’t figure out what it was.
Oh, and the wife said, "Make sure you get it!!!"
Cucumbers? Carrots? Cotton balls?
None of those made sense!
Finally, a very helpful produce guy, Joe, saw I was in distress and came to my rescue.
I showed him my list and he agreed. Cotton balls would taste terrible.
He then whipped open his flip phone (this was a few years ago) and made a call.
I sat there patiently. Well, I was patiently eavesdropping.
He was asking his wife what they put in their mango salsa.
He smiled and turned to me and said, “Cilantro. It’s cilantro!”
Joe and I exchanged an awkward high five, I grabbed my cilantro, and I was on my way.
If you are not familiar with Publix, then you are deprived.
It is a grocery store that is well lit, stocked perfectly, and has lots of helpful employees.
Their prices are a little higher than average, but they are well worth it!
Their niche is the overall experience.
Conversely, there is another grocery store around the corner.
It’s Aldi.
And Aldi is no Publix.
At Aldi, you have to put a quarter into your cart and return it to get your quarter back, the shelves are not quite as perfectly stocked, but all three employees are helpful:).
Aldi has decent groceries with fewer frills and their prices are lower.
Their niche is simplicity.
Both are good grocery stores with two very different niches.
So which are you, Publix or Aldi?
There is no right or wrong answer.
Unless you say that you are a mixture of both.
That is the wrong answer.
That’s not a niche.
That’s the same thing everyone says, especially your competitor.
It’s time to take a stand.
And taking a stand will let you STAND OUT!
- If you are truly the expert display it.
- If you really serve a special market, make sure everyone knows about it.
- If you are the most convenient, fastest, or most accurate, hang your hat on it.
Check out how Mark Jost from Fairway Mortgage is telling customers about his niche and standing out from the crowd.
- Email follow up - He’s sharing it with his referral partners
- Email marketing - He’s using it in his email follow up to potential clients and this always separates him from the other possible mortgage folks.
In a recent survey 80% of consumers replied they remembered a video ad they viewed in the previous 30 days (Delivra)
Mark Jost - Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation - “The video creations have been a great tool for me to use to reach out to potential clients. I will use these services again and again.”
Another example is Sandi Sagaser from Inspired Homes. She discusses her niche with smart storytelling to educate her potential clients about the home buying and selling process.
By the way, she LEGITIMATELY excels in educating and communicating with her clients.
Website – You’ll find video on every page of Inspired Home’s website. It keeps the lead on the page longer and is more engaging.
Email follow up – Most agents follow up once if they are lucky. Inspired Homes uses an automated email follow up with video. This sets them apart from every other real estate agency in their area.
Presentations – Each time an agent from Inspired has an appointment, they show one of their videos that are appropriate for that particular lead, i.e. if the lead is fickle on pricing, they show their "Pricing Your House to Sell” video.
Social media – Sandi shares her videos frequently. Also, 80% of internet users will click on video or images in their search results before clicking on anything else
Sandi Sagaser - Inspired Homes - “The animated videos Charles has produced for me have been a huge win for our team and for our clients. They love the videos and I love working with Charles!”
It’s time to take a stand.
And taking a stand will let you STAND OUT!
Otherwise, you will fade into obscurity…
Also, I will admit that video is not the only way to stand out and show your niche.
However, video does makeup 70% of online traffic and that number is GROWING, not decreasing.
You better jump on this, before your competition does.
Download this Video Marketing Made Simple Checklist, to make sure you have everything you need!
You want to connect with your customer and tell them why you are different.
Videos let you cut through the clutter and increase your sales.
Let's work together today.
p.s. It's easy too!
