Fortune may be in the follow-up but true wealth lies in your niche as an esthetician.
If you’re pursuing everyone, it will be hard to grow your beauty business sustainably and profitably.
So how can you market the right services to the right people? The secret is in finding your niche.
Now you may wonder, “But Maxine, beauty schools teach us how to do everything! Why can’t I help everyone with every skin problem?”
That’s true, beauty schools teach us how to do it all. Not to confuse you but to show you the many directions and specialties you can pursue in your career.
Now that you have your own practice, it’s time to become known for your expertise. Even though you have learned everything in school, it doesn’t mean you have to do all of it.
Finding your niche has many benefits. It allows you to hone in on your skillset, invest your resources strategically, and develop targeted marketing campaigns.
In addition, clients are willing to pay more for specialists and being an expert in one area can help you inspire trust and build credibility.
How To Uncover Your Niche
Here’s a simple exercise to identify your niche:
1. What Are You Good At?
Write down all the services you’re good at. Be honest and list services that you truly excel in – not the ones you wish you could well!
For example, I loved watching makeup artists in action. Yet, I wasn’t good at applying makeup on clients so I didn’t offer this service when I opened my practice. I honestly knew that I wasn’t going to win clients with my makeup skills!
2. What Do You Enjoy Doing?
Narrow down your list from step one by identifying the services you enjoy doing. Which one(s) bring you the most joy?
I know it’s easy to be passionate about all of them but it’s important to include only services that truly make your heart soar.
3. What’s the Market Demand?
Out of your list of services from step 2, what’s in demand in your community? How do they solve your potential clients’ problems and challenges?
Get a clear understanding of the most common skincare needs in your community and see how you can deliver a helpful and relevant solution with your expertise.
4. Are Clients Willing To Pay?
Once you have validated that there’s a demand in your community for what you love to do, find out if the market is willing to pay top dollars for your services.
You’re more likely to receive your asking price if there’s a demand in the market. The pain must be great enough that people are willing to pay handsomely for a solution.
5. How Unique Are Your Services?
Do some research to see if any other esthetician is offering similar services to the same market in your community. Can you offer a unique approach?
It’s important to verify that your market isn’t over-saturated, which will make it harder to stand out and command premium pricing. If you have niched down deep enough then you wouldn’t be facing much competition.
This will allow you to zero in on your target audience.
Common Myths About Choosing a Niche
Some estheticians have fear about honing in on a niche, such as, “I don’t want to eliminate a service. What would clients think? How would I explain?”
Specializing and niching down can be scary and some clients may leave. It’s ok. By not being everything to everyone, you can zero in on your target market – a critical step in maturing as a leader in the beauty industry.
Once you’ve uncovered your niche, you’ll be happier because you’re doing what you love. Your clients will be thrilled with the outcomes because you can focus your resources to deliver the best solution. As a result, you’ll be able to charge a premium and increase your income. Boom.
Another myth is that many estheticians think they need to keep up with trends and new modalities even if they’re not related to their niches.
While it’s important to be at the forefront of new techniques and equipment in your area of expertise so you can deliver the best services to your clients, I don’t believe you have to deviate from your niche and chase after the next shiny object.
Before investing in new equipment and technologies, ask yourself, “How can this new modality help me advance my specialty?”
Asking yourself this question will help you stay in your own lane as well as save you from unnecessary spending!
Your Niche Is Your Foundation
Finding your niche allows you to be known for your expertise, apply your passion to help more people, and build a client base that is willing to pay for your services.
Your niche is the foundation of the many marketing strategies I teach in the Esthetician Inner Circle, a community where beauty professionals come together to grow their beauty businesses. Learn more and gain access to a comprehensive library of training materials here.