Nearly every week I am asked by up-and-coming freelance marketing pros how to select an industry niche, and do really well in it. So I decided to take a couple weeks off from my usual sales writing secrets, and dig into this important topic. 
In my previous post, I provide insights into selecting an industry niche. This second post focuses on how to kick butt in your chosen niche.
Get very good at your craft!
You’d be surprised how often this step is overlooked. If you want to dominate your niche, learn about it inside and out. Most important, work on your skills a lot, and get very good at them.
The quickest route to dominating a niche as an independent copywriter, designer or marketing consultant is to become EXCEPTIONAL at your craft! It really is this simple.
Make your marking plan an inch wide and a mile deep
Create an avatar of who your ideal client is, and direct all of your marketing at this avatar. Maybe your ideal client is the marketing communications manager at an aviation parts supply company, or the marketing director at a medical device company.
Whoever it is, focus all of your marketing energy and strategies toward this avatar through e-mail, letters, phone calls, LinkedIn discussion groups, and attendance at industry events.
Create a marketing plan directed at your avatar that is penetrating and focused with laser-like precision.
In other words, develop a highly-specific plan that is an inch wide and mile deep – as opposed to a far-reaching general plan that is a mile wide and an inch deep.
Network, publish, and consult
It takes more than doing a lot of assignments to dominate your niche. You have to become a respected go-to authority.
You can do this by publishing a steady stream of special reports, articles, and blogs about strategic topics that are of interest to your niche industry. Publish this content on your website, and share it on LinkedIn via discussion groups and blog posts. This will give you a high level of visibility within your niche industry.
Also, position yourself within your niche not just as a freelancer, but as a consultant. Here is the difference between the two, using copywriting as an example.
A freelance copywriter merely “takes orders” from a client, much like a short order cook. For example, if a prospect says she needs a lead-generation brochure, a copywriter will crank out a lead-generation brochure.
If a client isn’t sure what she needs, a copywriter will wait until she is …and then “take her copywriting order” and execute the project.
On the other hand, a copywriter who is also a consultant will listen to the prospect’s goals, and then offer proactive solutions that include strategic recommendations intended to help the client achieve her overall marketing objectives.
In other words, a consultant will come up with great ideas the client may have otherwise never considered.
As a consultant, you become an extension of your client’s marketing team, which makes you MUCH more valuable. Plus, you can charge additional fees for your consulting services.
Build your reputation as an in-demand consultant, and not just an order taker, and you’re well on your way to dominating your niche.
Go for the extra zero
Ask the average independent marketing consultant the difference between a $500 project and a $5,000 project, and he is likely to say …$4,500. However, the real difference between $500 and $5,000 is that single 0 at the end of $5,000. 
If you want to dominate your niche, go for that extra zero! And go for it with certainty and confidence. Remember, the difference between $500 and $5,000 isn’t a math problem. It is a mindset.
Does it take longer to land a $5,000 project than it does a $500 project? Not necessarily. But even if it does, remember that it takes 10 $500 projects to equal ONE $5,000 project.
I’ve been a successful B2B copywriter and consultant for 16 years, and I can tell you this: Clients who are able to give me $5,000 projects tend to value my work more than clients who give me $500 projects.
Plus, do two $5,000 projects in 30 days and you’ve earned $10,000 for the month. The only way to hit this mark with $500 projects is to do 20 of them in a month. Try keeping up with that pace. Nobody can!
Long story short, if you want to dominate your niche as an independent marketing pro …you’ve got to think big!
My last and most important point is this: Master your craft and market yourself a lot. Continue to improve at your craft, and never let up on your marketing. It isn’t brain surgery.
I’ll reveal more proven strategies for choosing and dominating a niche during my presentation as part of AWAI’s, “The Ultimate B2B Master Classes Webinar” series in August.
If you’re a copywriter, make plans today to be a part of it!
Please leave a comment! If you got a knowledge boost from this post I encourage you to share it with your crowd!
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