Why you need a niche
The importance of having a clear niche before launching a new product/service.
I have written this blog post while still working at Drew London, a branding and digital agency, where my colleagues and I would spend a lot of time analysing and discussing target audience and personas with all our clients.
It is an essential part of the creative process before designing a new brand or developing a new website.
Understanding how to define a target audience and a niche, it’s a beneficial and necessary tool for any brands, products and/or services that are trying to solve a real problem.
Recently, Drew worked and supported the launch of South Asian Therapists, the very first online global directory for South Asian therapy and mental health professionals. An online platform created to provide clear, transparent communication for both therapists and patients, allowing this very specific community to find a safe, trusted space online.
This particular case study is very important to me because, in the very first weeks of its launch, the platform was not only able to register and sign-up an incredible amount of vendors and interests, but it has also had a massive impact on raising awareness for minority segments of the population as well as bringing its community closer.
300+ Sign-ups in less than a week!
In the first few weeks of its announcement, this project gained momentum and over 500 people reached out before the platform was live. The project was born from the very inspiring mind behind the Pink Ladoo Project, founder and best-selling author Raj Khaira. Raj quickly understood that her audience needed help and she quickly responded to a real need, providing her community with a new platform, where support would be available, knowing it would really benefit both professionals and those seeking therapy.
Do you see where I am going? The importance of having an online community on your side.
Her community inspired her idea, helped her shape the product and ultimately became its final patron. A community is a reflection of a physical audience, and where there is an audience, there are clear expectations on the type of content and support available.
To refer back to this example, South Asian Therapists’ niche is a segment of the PinkLadoo audience. Yes, the brand looks absolutely amazing, and the website works wonderfully, but if it wasn’t for the people and the necessity of bringing the platform to life, this wouldn’t have worked as well as it did.
When working on a passion project, while starting out as an entrepreneur or in the start-up phase, you have to put yourself in your audience’s shoes and really dig deep into why users would find value in your experience, how your project is going to help them, and why they should buy into your service or product.
I am very focused and passionate about helping people and projects with a real purpose, because we see the benefit of developing a brand or a platform that will represent strong values and objectives.
