Speakers, Hone in on Your Niche

Speakers, Hone in on Your Niche

A lot of speakers ask me about what they should speak on when I meet them at networking events. The answer may be found through asking them a series of questions: “What is your specialty? Why are you the best person in the world to talk about this topic? If someone hires you, what will they get for their money? How does your speech help people or businesses in some way?” These questions will help guide you in picking a niche and developing your talks around it.

To strengthen your ability to create results, in this blog post, I will discuss 7 key tips that can help you create a niche for yourself as a speaker. 

Tip 1 - Identify a Speaking Niche

What are you an expert on? Is it because of training, lived experience, or both? Are you living your life purpose — or still searching? Answer these questions to identify the right niche for you. It might be something that comes naturally to you or it can be developed over time through your experience in speaking and events. 

Tip 2- Identify High Demand Niches

To determine what an audience wants, consider the following high demand niches and sub niches:: 

• Health/Wellness - The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is recognized as the leading source for authoritative wellness industry research. They’ve shared that the global wellness economy is currently valued at $4.5 trillion. There are opportunities for you to niche in numerous categories, including but not limited to personal care, beauty and anti-aging, healthy eating, nutrition and weight management, wellness tourism, preventative and personalized medicine and public health, mental wellness, traditional and complementary medicine, wellness lifestyle real estate, the spa economy, thermal/mineral springs, sexual health and workplace wellness.

• Technology - Everybody wants the latest technology, so a few niches to consider are artificial intelligence, assistive technology, meetings and events technology, e-sports and game development, education, advertising, web development & design, mobile app development, cloud computing, health, cyber security and environmental technology.

• Wealth - When you think about the financial services industries, there are so many different niches available: Wealth management, real estate, business planning, retail and commercial banking , investment banking, venture capital and private equity, accounting and insurance.

• Relationships - People will always need advice and support in their personal and professional relationships.

• Career - Human resources, employee development, career development training, advanced skill building, community-based learning, career advancement , promotion, career transition, career change, job search, interviewing, retirement planning and work/life balance are a few niches to consider.

• Spirituality - Numerous sub niches to fulfill the desire to connect to a Higher Power: aligned living to one’s religion, healing, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, charity work, legacy, purpose, law of attraction, hypnosis and spiritual cinema.  

How can you apply your topic to a specific niche group or Target market? 

Make sure you have a compelling hook or unique selling proposition (USP) for the group of people interested in hearing what you have to say about this topic.

Instead of spending huge amounts of time, energy, and money working with the masses, look for places where your ideal clients are already gathered. For example, select fraternities, sororities, clubs, associations and organizations that are known to serve people in your niche market.

If you don’t know which associations and organizations serve the people in your niche market, try searching for “associations serving [your topic] in [your state].” 

For example, if you are a coach or consultant that specializes in helping entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses with social media marketing, search for “associations serving entrepreneurs in [your state].”

Tip 3- Don't forget to make a great first impression! 

When you engage your audience at the beginning of your session, they will be more engaged and actively listening throughout. You can do this by asking questions that require more than a yes or no response. For example: “How many of you have been frustrated with your business’s lack of growth? Raise your hand." 

When you gather information from your audience, use that to make them feel heard and appreciated.  For example: “I am so glad several of you brought this up – I think it’s important for everyone here to understand how we can tackle this problem together!”

Speakers who hone in on their niche market, ask relevant questions, tell powerful stories are the ones who make a great first impression. They are also the ones that become sought-after speakers because they stand out from the crowd.

Tip 4 - Position Yourself as a Subject Matter Expert 

Being an expert in your field is great, but it's not enough to be successful on the speaking circuit. Differentiation and disruption are key.  In what ways can you address the need for innovation in the construction, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and financial services industries? Positioning yourself like this will differentiate you from most speakers and put yourself ahead of the game. 

For example, one of my favorite speakers, Brian Solis is Global Innovation Evangelist. He's also an 8x best-selling author, international keynote speaker, and digital anthropologist.  Check him out and determine for yourself why he is considered one of the more creative and brilliant business minds of our time. 

Tip 5 - Use YouTube to Position Yourself as an Expert 

 YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google. YouTube is primarily a video platform, so when you upload your videos there, it will also help your Google rankings. In addition, video search results get higher click through rates than text-based searches. 

 Create and upload at least one video per week on YouTube to establish visibility, credibility, and authority. Then, use your YouTube channel to share videos on other platforms. For example, if you have a video about public speaking tips for beginners that does well on Facebook, consider sharing it also on Twitter and Pinterest so more people can find out about you through their preferred social media platform.

Tip 6 - Guest blogging is a great way to position yourself as an expert.

 Not only will you get your name out there, but you'll also be able to connect with other industry leaders and grow a community of people interested in what you have to say.

Tip 7 - Give Your Presentation in Front of Live Audiences Early and Often 

You may feel like you need to perfect your presentation before giving it in front of an audience, but the truth is that every time you speak in front of a live group, it will be different.  Mastery is cultivated over time. That's why I recommend starting now!  The sooner you get comfortable speaking in public and communicating with people about what matters most to them, the better off you'll be.

It's never been easier to become a speaker. You can find speaking engagements on LinkedIn, search online for conferences and events that might be looking for speakers, and even offer your time pro-bono at schools, nonprofit organizations, such as Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs and Chambers of Commerce. The downside? With so many people vying for the same spots, it becomes harder to stand out from the crowd. And that is where focusing on your niche and becoming a subject matter expert comes in handy!

There are many ways to position yourself as a subject matter expert in your niche. I’ve outlined seven, but there are undoubtedly more out there! Try implementing one or two of these strategies into your marketing plan and see if you notice an uptick in interest from the people who would most benefit from what you have to offer. If not, keep experimenting with different tactics until something works for you. Remember that it takes time and patience before results will be seen by all parties involved so don't give up too soon!