As the desire for healthy living continues to rise, the need for Health Coaches, personal trainers, and nutritionists is growing as well. It’s an exciting time for people seeking to join the health and wellness field, but the popularity of the wellness market means heavy competition for new entrepreneurs. Finding your particular niche within the health and wellness field can eliminate some of the competition.

What is a niche?

Niches are segments of the population that share specific preferences or characteristics. These can be as broad as men under 50 or as specific as New York–based, 35-year-old vegetarians. Finding your wellness niche can help you concentrate on a specific need you see in the marketplace, especially if it seems forgotten by the mainstream wellness community.

Finding your niche is not the same as having a specialty. Specialties are the type of services you provide; niches are a problem you can solve for a specific group of people using your services. For example, specialties could include plant-based diets, bodyweight exercises, or balancing hormones.

When investing in health, people are wired to consider what the benefit is to them, and finding your niche helps you show clients exactly how you’re going to solve the problem they’re seeking help for.

Benefits of finding your niche

Defining what your wellness niche is allows you to target exactly who you are looking to help. If you advertise yourself as someone who helps clients “find balance,” potential clients may shy away because they’re not totally sure if that offering meets their specific needs. Find balance in what – their workout routines, sex lives, or diets? Or all the above? Finding your niche, as well as using language that accurately explains your services, allows clients to feel more comfortable seeking you out. There are quite a few benefits to defining your wellness niche:

Reducing the competition

Every field has competition, and the health and wellness field is no different. By targeting smaller, more specific audiences, you have the opportunity to advertise yourself to the exact audience you’re looking to attract.

By narrowing your field, you can provide more value to your clients because you’ve narrowed your expertise to something more relevant to them and their needs. You also face less competition. There may be 100 personal trainers in your area, but perhaps only a handful who specialize in low-impact workouts.

Becoming an expert

By reducing your competition, you get to showcase skills that no one else in your niche has. This is crucial for drawing in new clients and can help in your marketing efforts. When you present yourself as an expert in a specific niche, you will probably be one of a select few who provide the same services. Being an expert means those in need of your specific knowledge are more likely to seek you out.

How to find your niche

Finding your niche may not happen overnight. Taking your time to really define who you are looking to help and the problems you are looking to solve will show your clients how dedicated you are. But how do you know who you should be targeting? Here are some things to consider:

     1. What are you passionate about?

What gets you excited and out of bed in the morning? Think back to why you wanted to study the field you got into and why you turned it into a career. If you enjoy your work, your clients are going to enjoy it, too.

     2. Who do you want to help?

Who is your ideal client base? While it’s unlikely every client you have will be a dream come true, identifying who you want to work with helps further define your niche. Are you looking to help new moms, or all women in general? People with general anxiety, or those suffering from disordered eating? Narrowing this down will also make your marketing plans easier to put together.

     3. Does this answer a need in the market?

Some needs are obvious, while others require more research. Ask your family and friends what health and wellness problems they need help with, then expand your search. Don’t forget to consider not just what problems you’ll be solving for your clients, but also the aspects of your clients’ lives that may impact their ability to successfully utilize your services.

For example, if your niche is busy moms and you specialize in meal prep and cooking, your guidance to buy groceries may not be as simple as popping over to the local grocery store if the client lives in a food desert. Your services for this client will be even more impactful if you’re able to provide tailored guidance that will help you address this need in the market.

     4. Is there growth potential?

Don’t limit yourself by hindering your business before you even start. If you choose a niche that’s too narrow, you run the risk of running out of clients! By not narrowing your niche too much, you allow yourself to grow as you encounter new issues within your niche.

Do your research

Before you begin narrowing down your niche, it’s important to consider these previous points: passions, ideal clients, market needs, and growth potential. Maybe you already have experience, like a previous degree or certification, but you still need to do your research. Searching trending hashtags, interviewing others in the field, and even joining online groups devoted to the subject you’re looking to get into are all great ways to get started!

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and spend time listening. You may find that people will tell you exactly what they’re looking for, and you may gain some interesting insights along the way.

Your chosen niche may grow and develop over time, and that’s okay! You will grow and change, so why shouldn’t your business? Be open to new experiences and realize you don’t have to get it perfect right from the start.

Interested in learning more about transforming your interest in health and wellness into a career? Check out our Curriculum Guide for information about IIN’s Health Coach Training Program. If you’re looking to deepen your education and find your niche, learn more about some of our advanced and specialty courses, like the Gut Health Course, Detox Your Life, and Whole-Person Health.