Feeling crowded by competitors can be very discouraging. How to find your unique value in a crowded niche? Here are some mindset shifts you might find helpful!
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Getting an idea for a new course, e-book or any other product (or service) can be a truly thrilling experience until…
until it’s not because you suddenly realize that there are 10 other people doing the same as you.
Or maybe there’s ONE big name within the niche that everyone goes to so you feel like there’s no use for your product anyway…
How to not get discouraged by competitors and come up with your unique value in a crowded niche?
Mindset shifts to spot your unique value
Mindset shift #1: YOU are the selling point, not your product
Here’s the deal. Everyone and their mother these days are coming up with online courses and other digital products. And it’s alright.
The thing is, your offering or idea doesn’t have to be madly unique to make sales.
It has to be useful, yes.
Valuable. Yes.
Overall worth one’s time. Yes.
BUT. It doesn’t have to be unique to make the sales because, let’s be real, it’s close to impossible these days to come up with something truly unique. You can find close to everything online already!
Therefore, embrace this mindset shift and start thinking about YOU as the selling point, not the idea itself.
You are creating this product with your unique perspective. Your unique skillset. No matter what is your background, how long is your experience or what exactly you are offering.
YOU are the unique factor of your offer.
People connect with people. People will buy from you because of your energy, because of your vibe, of the way you share the information.
Once you get into an online business with this mindset, you realize that ANY idea can be the one and you don’t have to break your mind trying to be madly unique.
Of course, being unique would count as some bonus points… But it’s not the starting point!
Mindset shift #2: If your idea is already out there, it means you have a market!
Your competitors have done some work for you already. They have proved that your idea is viable!
See, when you’re going in a niche where nobody seems to be creating products similar to your idea, you’ll meet several obstacles.
First of all, your audience isn’t familiar with such products in the first place! For example, if you’d want to start selling online courses to Italian tomato farmers that have never heard about online courses before, it’d be a tough market to break in.
On the other hand, if, turns out, they are already practicing some courses and are familiar with the concept, it works out in your favor!
Besides that, without any competitor, you don’t have any proof that there is success within the niche.
Sure, you can dip your toe and see for yourself. But it can turn out to be such a waste of time!
With some competitors ahead of you, you already know that people are interested in the product.
There is enough business and enough money for everyone to go around so embrace the idea that your competition is already embracing a part of your market.
Mindset shift #3: Everyone has their own audience
You might be selling the same (or, more likely, similar product), you might even have a similar audience. Maybe you’re targeting ALL the same people.
But imagine going to a sock market (you know, like a yearly sock fiesta, lol).
There are 3 sock stands in front of you. They all sell socks! All of those socks will make you warm and fuzzy. Some even are in all the same colors and for the same price!
But one stand has them shorter than others. Another – a bit fuzzier. The third has the patterns on the socks!
See, you might like the short ones. I’ll go for fuzzy. My brother would probably pick the pattern ones.
All of these socks have us as their market. All of them serve the same purpose. But we all opt-in for different socks.
The same goes for your product.
It’s a matter of your potential student’s taste. Whether or not they click with you, whether they “get your vibe”.
Is there such a thing as a “too crowded” niche?
Now, knowing all I just said… is there even such a thing as a “too crowded” niche? Or an idea that’s been used TOO much?
Most likely, if you see loads of products related to one specific niche, this means that there is DEMAND.
For example, I’m from Latvia and my capital city Riga has a bit over 600K people living in it. Recently, Zero Waste trends took over and we had our first Zero Waste shop opening. Within a year there were FIVE Zero Waste shops in one city center (that you can walk through in 1 hour).
It seems like such a waste (pun intended) to go back to the idea that already is just around the corner (quite literally), offering all the same.
And yet, all of these shops are widely popular and I’m sure there will be loads more coming in before I blink.
Plot twist: after Corona most of them got closed… But that’s not the point…
The point is, they are there BECAUSE with more and more Zero Waste shops the demand for them grows as well!
The same happens with online products. For example, Pinterest. I could name at least 5 big bloggers with a huge following having a Pinterest course.
And yet, Pinterest is becoming more and more popular way to grow blog traffic and more and more people are coming up with courses all about it.
Realistically, should you create a Pinterest course? No. There are hundreds and probably thousands of Pinterest courses out there.
But will you find the audience if you create one? YES. Because there’s an increasing amount of people wanting such courses. PLUS your audience will always opt-in to buy from you.
Your unique value is right there: Shine your light, YOU are the selling point
Being authentic and showing up with your product AS YOU ARE is your best selling point.
There won’t be any less digital products around within a year or two. Believe me, we’re only thriving! But more and more people WANT to learn online. More and more people get into digital products.
There’s no way back. Your time to show up is now!
Like that saying goes… “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But the second-best time is now!”
What’s your unique value that you’re ready to show up with?
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