The Power of a Micro Niche (Because “Just Pick a Niche” is Lazy Advice)

You know that feeling when you tell someone what you do, and their response is… vague confusion? That’s what happens when your niche is too broad.

It’s not that you’re not great at what you do—it’s that people don’t get it. And if they don’t get it, they’re not hiring you.

That’s why being specific isn’t just helpful in 2025—it’s essential.

A broad niche leaves you blending in, competing with too many people, and struggling to attract the right clients. But when you dial in on the right people, the right problem, and the right positioning? Everything gets easier.

In this episode, we’re breaking down why broad niches don’t work anymore, how micro niching simplifies marketing, and what it takes to carve out a profitable, sustainable space for your business. Let’s get into it.

The “Pick and Pray” Approach: Why Picking a Niche Isn’t That Simple

Let’s start with the all too common advice: “Just pick a niche and go.”

But here’s the problem—it doesn’t consider strategy.

When you pick a niche without careful thought, you risk getting lost in the noise of saturated markets. That’s the problem with broad niches, they leave you competing against everyone else. And as a solo service provider, you don’t have time or resources to blend into the background.

A great example is a typical online business niche, working with “women entrepreneurs.” While this sounds like a niche, it’s still too broad.

First, what kind of women entrepreneurs? Are you helping moms juggling their businesses or tech founders scaling a startup? Their challenges and needs are vastly different.Second, what problem are you solving? “Helping women entrepreneurs” isn’t a specific problem.

This is where micro niching comes in.

What is a Micro Niche?

What exactly is a micro niche? A micro niche is a highly specific subset of a broader niche. Think of it as narrowing down so much that you become the undisputed expert for a particular audience with a particular problem. 

With a micro niche, you’re not casting a wide net and hoping to catch a few clients. You’re targeting a small, highly engaged group that needs your solution.

As a micro business owner, you need a micro niche. (Especially as a solopreneur because you can’t afford to be everywhere and shouldn’t try).

This is where the Strategy Stack comes into play—especially the layers of People and Positioning.

People

In a micro niche, you define the EXACT type of person or business you want to work with. You’re not just saying “small businesses”—you’re saying, “I help tech startups” or “I work with creative solopreneurs.” When you focus on your target market, you align your efforts with a specific group of people who share the same problem and will pay to solve it.

Positioning

Once you know who your people are, you can refine your positioning. This is where your niche becomes powerful, as you speak directly to that audience with a clear, resonant message.

Instead of offering generic solutions, you’re presenting yourself as the expert for a very specific problem. Positioning in a micro niche makes you the go-to solution, making it so much easier to land the right clients.

I know, you’ve probably been told a million times that you need to niche down, as that’s an extremely common piece of online business advice. And while you’ve heard it, you may have bristled at it as you don’t want to be constrained or fear it will limit your opportunities.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Why Micro Niches Work for Today’s Market

In 2025, the more specific you can be, the more valuable you are as a service provider. 

The goal of a micro niche isn’t to shrink your audience, it’s to refine your focus. When you target a smaller audience, you’re deeply connecting with the right people, clients who already have a problem and, more importantly, are willing to pay for the solution you offer.

The 2024 Optimove Insights report on Marketing Fatigue highlights how tired consumers are with marketing messages. 81% of consumers are ready to “cut ties” with brands that overwhelm them. 

In today’s market, people are tired, skeptical, and overwhelmed by the constant barrage of generic offers. They don’t want another “cookie-cutter” solution. They want someone who gets it and can deliver results. 

That’s why micro niches work. They enable you to offer a tailored solution that feels personal and specific. Your audience doesn’t have to guess if you understand their problem; they know you get it because you’re speaking directly to them.

This is where your Positioning in the Strategy Stack shines. If you focus on a micro niche, your marketing will resonate more. Your content will speak directly to the people who need your help, and your positioning will show why you’re the ideal fit for their needs.

The Power of Small: How to Choose Your Micro Niche

Now that we know why micro niching works, let’s discuss strategically choosing your micro niche.

So much of the conventional advice about niching is focused on picking a specific person or industry. You must identify your ideal client by narrowing it down to a single group or sector, like “I help small business owners” or “I work with tech startups.”

This advice emphasizes who you serve, often encouraging you to define your niche by demographics, job titles, or industries. It’s a start, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough. It leaves you open to competition and could confuse your potential clients.

Over the years, I’ve told my clients they don’t have to narrow their niche based solely on a persona or industry. Instead, they can carve out their space by focusing on solving a specific problem, offering a unique process, or leveraging their distinct position in the market.

Defining your micro niche often requires all four of these approaches. Here’s how they work together:

Problem

Start by clearly defining the specific problem you are solving. What is the pain point or challenge your target audience is struggling with? For example, instead of saying, “I help businesses grow,” you might say, “I help small businesses improve their time management to reduce burnout.”

People

Next, focus on who you’re solving this problem for. Who is your ideal client? Instead of a broad term like “entrepreneurs,” you might focus on creative professionals, tech startups, or solopreneurs. The more specific you get, the better.

Position

This is about how you differentiate yourself in the market. What makes you stand out as the go-to expert for this specific problem? It’s about how you communicate your value, what makes your solution unique, and why clients should trust you over others.

Process

Finally, define the process or steps through which you help your clients achieve the solution. Are you offering a coaching program, online courses, workshops, or done-for-you services? How do you package your solution, and what does the experience look like for the client?

A Micro Niche in Action: A Step-by-Step Example

Let me walk you through an example of a time management consultant so you can see how this may work for you.

Problem: The specific problem they solve could be helping solopreneurs who are overwhelmed with their workload and struggling with time management. They often juggle multiple roles in their business, leading to burnout, poor work-life balance, and a constant feeling of being behind.

People: Works with creative solopreneurs—artists, designers, writers, and other independent creatives—who love what they do but find themselves drowning in the administrative tasks and business operations that come with running their own business.

Position: A time management expert who understands the unique challenges of creative business owners. Unlike traditional time management coaches, they specialize in strategies that align with the creative process and acknowledge the need for flexibility in their workflow. Their approach blends structured systems with the freedom to innovate and experiment, making it a perfect fit for creative people with rigid schedules.

Process: A four-week program that includes one-on-one sessions and customized productivity strategies. The program is designed to help clients create systems that support their creativity while reducing their time on non-creative tasks. Clients will also receive a time audit, personalized action plans, and weekly accountability check-ins to ensure they stay on track and build lasting habits that work for them.

In this example, they’ve created a micro niche so potential clients can quickly decide if this fits them. Perhaps they’re a solopreneur but not creative, or everything checks all the boxes, but they don’t want a four-week program. This is the power of specificity.

Have you heard the saying, “The riches are in the niches?” I disagree with that. The real riches are buried deep in the micro niches where your competitors are too afraid to dig.

The Money’s in the Micro: Don’t Settle for a Broad Niche

To wrap it up, micro niches aren’t about shrinking your audience; they’re about getting ultra-specific with your targeting. The more specific your niche, the easier it becomes to market and sell to the right clients.

You’ll establish yourself as the must-have expert for a specific problem, making your business the obvious choice in a crowded market.

Keep in mind that micro niching is an evolving process. You don’t have to have everything figured out from day one. Start by focusing on a specific problem and a target audience, then refine your niche as you learn more about what works and what doesn’t. This process allows you to be flexible and adjust your focus based on real-world feedback.