How to Find Your Coaching Niche

“How do I find my coaching niche?”

It is a common question uttered by new coaches.

After all, you know that you need a coaching niche, but you just can’t seem to settle on one. And besides, you want to serve everyone! You don’t want to exclude any potential clients or opportunities.

But the thing is, by serving everyone, you serve no one.

And when you get clear and commit to a niche, the universe responds in kind. You attract your dream clients more easily and naturally, and your business flows more seamlessly.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the steps to finding your coaching niche, common challenges to niching down, and how you can finally choose a niche, once and for all.

What is a Coaching Niche?

A coaching niche is a target market (or group of people with a specific set of demographics and psychographics) that you can coach and coach well. 

Your niche is the group of people you can best help and who are also best helped by you. When considering your niche, it’s not just about who you can help, but about who you are best positioned to serve in the marketplace.

Niching down in your coaching business allows you to differentiate yourself from other coaches and attract clients who are seeking expertise in your particular area. It makes marketing your business easier and makes it easier for your ideal clients to find you!

The importance of choosing a coaching niche

As a coach, finding your niche is essential for your success and growth in the coaching industry. 

There’s a reason why all the business coaches tell you to niche down… because it works! Here’s what happens when you find your best-fit coaching niche:

1. You attract more of your ideal clients when you are willing to put a stake in the ground and claim that you serve them specifically. You start speaking to them directly and attracting them more quickly.

2. You learn to serve your target market better than you could if you were a general coach because you get in-depth experience in coaching a specific group of people with specific challenges and desires.

3. Niching gives you a focus. When you have a specific niche, you can think about your ideal client and keep her in mind when you write your emails, develop programs, and choose marketing activities. 

4. Niching makes it easier to explain what you do. Instead of introducing yourself as a “life coach who helps people achieve their goals” you can be way more specific, i.e., “I’m a life coach for women in their 30s who are looking to find more meaning and fulfillment in their careers.” 

5. You can create and sell offers more easily. Signing up for a general life coaching or health coaching packages isn’t as compelling as signing up for a coaching package that is tailored to your ideal clients wants and needs.

6. You can charge (and earn) more when you specialize in a niche. You can charge a premium when you know your client, are deeply familiar with their struggles, and your services really fix their specific problems. This is why they say “the riches are in the niches!”

7. You can create better content — including blog posts, podcasts, and social media posts — that are targeted exactly to your clients and address topics they want to hear about.

8. You build your personal coaching brand, because you become a known expert in your field. This makes it much easier for new clients to find you and for people to refer you to those who need your coaching services. 

What happens when you coach without a niche

Trying to be everything to everyone is not a good marketing strategy, nor a good business strategy.

Think about it: wouldn’t you rather work with someone who served people specifically in your shoes versus a generalist who serves everyone? Of course! And so would your clients.

This is what happens when you try to serve everyone:

• You don’t deeply understand your ideal client’s problems and desired solutions in enough detail.
• You aren’t specific enough in your content or your messaging, so clients aren’t signing up for what you have to offer.
• You struggle to create offers. You might spend a lot of time doing custom packages or one-off programs, and you struggle to create a signature offering that you’re known for.
• You burn out, trying to serve all the people, all of the time.

Not niching down is a no-win game. One that can leave you frustrated and exhausted. And who wants that?

Common challenges with choosing your niche

If you’re like most coaches, you’ve spent hours thinking about your niche. You’ve likely brainstormed, asked for advice in Facebook groups, and narrowed it down somewhat. But maybe you’re still stuck.

When it comes down to it, niching is both an internal and external process and needs to be viewed as such.

The outer work of finding your niche (Doing your market research)

Finding your niche isn’t as simple as filling out an ideal client profile. If that were all it took, we’d all be clear on our niches in about 5 minutes. But it’s not that easy.

While filling out your ideal client profile is a starting point, you actually need to validate what you think you know to be true about your niche. 

The best way to validate if what you think you know about your niche is true, is to conduct market research. Whether you do ideal client interviews, surveys or polls, market research is key to understanding the people you serve. 

There is no substitute for market research. I recommend doing it early and often when starting your business!

The inner work of finding your niche (Getting your mindset right)

If you’ve done a ton of market research and you have a lot of information, but you’re still struggling to find your niche, it’s likely a mindset issue.

Niching isn’t limiting you

Many times, I hear from coaches that they don’t want to niche because they don’t want to “limit themselves.” But niching isn’t limiting at all; in fact, niching is expansive. 

Niching is actually an abundance mindset. When you want to manifest something, it helps you get really specific on exactly what you want and then believe it’s possible for you. Niching works the same way!

Imagine that you can build a full practice of the dreamiest clients you can imagine. This is possible! It starts with believing in yourself and being willing to say, “Yes, I want and deserve to coach the best clients for me!”

Oddly enough, when you give yourself that permission, your brain starts imagining the dreamiest clients and that alone gives you many clues as to your niche.

Afraid of choosing the wrong niche

Coaches are often afraid of choosing the “wrong” niche. It’s natural to worry about making the right decision, but it’s important to remember that finding your niche is an ongoing process. 

As you gain experience and work with clients, you may discover new passions or areas of expertise. Your niche can — and will — evolve and change over time. It’s about starting with a niche that aligns with your current skills and interests and being open to growth and evolution in the future.

And what is “wrong” anyway? There’s no right or wrong niche, there is simply the niche you choose to focus on.

What to think about when choosing your coaching niche

There are a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing — and defining — your coaching niche.

Understanding Demographics vs. Psychographics

When selecting your coaching niche, it’s essential to consider both demographics and psychographics. Here’s what I mean by that:

• Demographics are the objective, measurable characteristics of your target audience. This includes things like age, gender, location, income, and education level. For instance, if you’re a wellness coach serving new moms, the demographic aspects might include women aged 28-40, living in urban areas, with a bachelor’s degree and a $100k/year salary, as an example.
• Psychographics can be even more important than demographics, and include the psychological aspects of your audience. For example, values, beliefs, interests, and motivations are all examples of psychographics. In the same example, the psychographics might encompass women who value work-life balance, have a passion for personal development, and seek fulfillment in their careers.

By understanding both demographics and psychographics, you can be sure to understand your client holistically, which helps you relate to them, speak to them, and find them.

Types of Coaching Niches

When it comes to coaching niches, the options truly are endless! Here are examples of niches within the life coaching field:

• Personal Development Coaching: This niche focuses on helping clients improve various aspects of their lives, including self-confidence, self-esteem, personal growth, and self-awareness.
• Relationship Coaching: Relationship coaches work with individuals or couples to enhance their relationships, communication skills, and conflict resolution abilities.
• Health and Wellness Coaching: Health and wellness coaches assist clients in achieving their physical and mental well-being goals, such as weight loss, fitness, stress management, and nutrition.
• Career Coaching: Career coaches specialize in helping clients advance in their careers, make career transitions, set career goals, and improve their job satisfaction.
• Parenting Coaching: Parenting coaches provide guidance and support to parents dealing with various parenting challenges, including discipline, communication with children, and balancing work and family life.
• Life Balance Coaching: Life balance coaches work with clients to achieve a harmonious balance between their personal and professional lives, reducing stress and increasing overall life satisfaction.
• Mindfulness and Stress Management Coaching: These coaches help clients develop mindfulness techniques and stress management strategies to cope with life’s challenges and reduce stress.
• Goal Setting and Achievement Coaching: Goal setting coaches assist clients in defining and achieving their personal and professional goals, providing accountability and motivation.
• Financial Coaching: Financial coaches help clients manage their finances, create budgets, reduce debt, and plan for financial goals and retirement.
• Spiritual Coaching: Spiritual coaches guide clients on their spiritual journeys, helping them explore their beliefs, values, and purpose in life.
• Life Transitions Coaching: Life transitions coaches specialize in helping clients navigate major life changes such as divorce, retirement, relocation, or career shifts.
• Empowerment Coaching: Empowerment coaches focus on empowering clients to overcome obstacles, develop resilience, and gain the confidence to take control of their lives.
• Happiness and Well-being Coaching: These coaches work with clients to enhance their overall happiness, life satisfaction, and well-being by fostering positive habits and mindsets.
• Time Management and Productivity Coaching: Time management coaches assist clients in maximizing their time and productivity, helping them achieve their goals efficiently.
• Creativity and Artistic Coaching: Creativity coaches work with individuals seeking to unleash their creative potential, whether in writing, art, music, or other creative endeavors.
• Retirement Coaching: Retirement coaches help clients plan for a fulfilling and purposeful retirement, focusing on lifestyle choices, hobbies, and personal growth in retirement.
• Positive Psychology Coaching: Positive psychology coaches help clients cultivate positive emotions, strengths, and resilience to lead more fulfilling lives.

3 Steps to Identify Your Coaching Niche

By now, you have an understanding of the reasons why it’s important to niche as well as the endless types of niches you can choose for your coaching business. Now, let’s talk about how exactly you can go about identifying your coaching niche.

Step 1: Start with Your Expertise and Passion

To find your coaching niche, start by evaluating your expertise and passion. Reflect on your skills, knowledge, and experience. 

• What are you naturally good at? 
• What topics or areas do you have a deep interest in? 
• What is your professional background?
• What personal experiences have shaped your expertise?

Identifying your areas of strength and passion will help you narrow down potential niches that align with your skills and interests.

Step 2: Understand the Market Demand for Your Coaching Niche

Once you have identified a few potential niches, it’s important to research the market demand for each niche. Look for trends, industry growth, and the needs of your target audience. 

• Are there existing coaching programs or services in your niche? 
• What is the competition like? 
• How could you differentiate yourself?
• What are the people you serve looking for?

Conduct market research, engage in conversations with your potential clients, and gather feedback to validate the demand for your chosen niche. This step will ensure that there is a market for your coaching services and that you can attract clients in your chosen niche.

Step 3: Exploring Different Coaching Niches

If you’ve done the research and you’re still not sure what your niche is, don’t be afraid to experiment with actually coaching people in these niches. The more you explore, the better you will be able to identify the niche that resonates with you and has the potential for growth and success. Be sure to be transparent with any clients, and be willing to serve them at a discounted (or even free) rate as you “try on” your various niches.

Step 4: Narrowing Down Your Coaching Niche Options

After exploring different coaching niches, it’s time to narrow down your options. Evaluate each potential niche based on your expertise, passion, and market demand. Consider the level of competition, the potential for growth, and your personal alignment with the niche. Eliminate niches that don’t meet these criteria and focus on the ones that have the greatest potential for success. Remember, finding your niche is about finding the intersection between your skills, passion, and market demand.

What happens after you choose your coaching niche

Choosing your coaching niche is one step of many in growing your coaching business. Once you choose your niche, it’s time to hone in on your messaging and marketing, so you can find, attract, and sign the clients you want to work with.

Developing Your Coaching Message

Once you have identified your coaching niche, it’s important to develop a clear and concise core message. Your core message is a statement that conveys what you do and who you serve. It should be compelling and resonate with your target audience. 

The more you know about your niche, the easier it will be to create a compelling core message. Be sure you understand the unique challenge of your niche, their unique desires, and what outcomes they can expect from working with you. Make it specific and unique to your niche, highlighting what sets you apart from other coaches.

Ready to get started with messaging? Magnetize My Message course can help!

Creating Coaching Packages for your Niche

Once you know your niche, what they struggle with, what they really want and how you can help them, you can start by creating a coaching package that is tailored specifically for your people and takes them through the transformation they want to achieve.

Whether it’s a one on one coaching package or a group program, creating an offering based on your niche or ideal client will help you attract the exact type of clients you want to serve.

Marketing Your Coaching Niche

You’ll want to target your marketing to your coaching niche so that you can attract clients and grow your business. While there are many ways to market your business, you’ll want to have offline and online strategies to reach your ideal clients.

Choose marketing channels that align with your skills and that allow you to reach your target audience. Share valuable content related to your niche to position yourself as an expert and attract your target audience. Network with other professionals in your niche and collaborate on projects or events to expand your reach. 

New to marekting? Read this article on how to market your coaching business.

Allowing your Coaching Niche to Grow and Evolve

It’s important to remember that no matter what your coaching niche is currently, it will grow and evolve as you do. Just because you choose a niche to start does not mean you will have that same niche in five years. You may narrow in even deeper. You may expand even broader. But you have to start somewhere. 

Finding your coaching niche is a vital step in mastering your coaching journey. It allows you to establish yourself as an expert, tailor your services to meet the specific needs of your target audience, and create targeted marketing campaigns. 

If you don’t yet know your coaching niche, you can get niche clarity starting today!