Niche: Do's and Don'ts
"An online cohort-based course focused on the use of social media by female left-handed German-speaking executives in their thirties who have graduated from college in the last 5 years and work in the hospitality industry in the city of Berlin."
"The course covers topics such as the best times of day to post content on Facebook and Instagram, how to craft an effective bio, and the most effective hashtags to use in the German language."
- How does this highly targeted, niche course sound?
- How many learners could you reach, realistically?
- How many potential learners are you excluding?
Niche: Dos
- Research thoroughly and make sure the topic you are interested in is in demand and has a wide enough audience.
- Analyse the competition and take into account the number of courses already available on the topic.
- Consider what type of content is needed for the course, such as videos, audios, documents, or other visuals.
- Brainstorm ideas and topics to make your course unique and engaging.
- Think about the target audience, where they hang out online, and how best to reach them.
- Look at trends to see what topics are currently popular and figure out how you can capitalise on them - within reason - keeping previous advice in mind - if you can add unique value.
- Choose an area that you have knowledge and expertise in.
- Consider what you can offer learners that other courses do not.
- Make sure the niche you choose is something you are passionate about and would enjoy teaching.
- Use the internet and other resources to find out more about the niche you are interested in.
Niche: Don'ts
- Don’t pick a niche "just" because it’s popular.
- Don’t choose a niche that you don’t have any knowledge or expertise in.
- Don’t pick a topic that is too broad or too narrow.
- Don’t pick a niche that doesn’t have enough potential buyers.
- Don’t try to copy a course that already exists.
- Don’t pick a niche without researching it.
- Don’t try to teach something that you aren’t passionate about.
- Don’t focus solely on the profitability of the niche.
- Don’t forget to include your own unique experiences and perspectives when creating content for the course.
- Don’t choose a niche just because it’s easy or it’s something you can do quickly.