How to Find the Perfect, Profitable Niche For Your Wedding Business

Question:  What words should I use to attract my ideal couples?

“Hi Stephanie,

Firstly, OMG thank you guys so much for doing this Summit series for photographers..I’m getting so much out of it and feeling sooo inspired!! I have made so many notes and my little journal is half full and I’ve only listened to the first 6 webinars! 🙂

We are in the process of doing a new website and all this info is just perfect to go along with the launch of this. We are really focussing in on our target market and projecting everything towards them when thinking of design and content. I know you must be super busy, but I thought I would like to email and ask you something I’m a little stuck on with my niche wording if that’s ok?

I absolutely love my clients and when thinking of my perfect client (I have one in mind that inspired me) and niche, they are:

• an everyday person who doesn’t know how beautiful they will be on their wedding day

• very sweet, thoughtful and affectionate but not “lovey/dovey all over each other!”

• loves pretty details and slightly vintage inspired but not steam punk, retro…more lace and twine kinda girls

• they are very organised but quite easy going and down to earth

• they are stylish, have good taste and love quality

• they are quietly confident and professional women

So I’m really struggling with a category or word that sums up this person and niche!!

I wouldn’t categorise them as being “tattooed, book worms, geeks” etc…but “everyday person” makes it sound too common or like they aren’t special.

If you have time to help or recommend more readings etc, I would greatly appreciate it…I think I’ve been looking at it for too long and needed another opinion!! 🙂

Thanks so much,”

Sophie

Answer:  Use the words your ideal couples say to describe themselves, the wedding and their concerns; they will immediately recognize you as exactly what they are looking for.

Hi, Sophie.

I’m so glad to hear how much you’re getting out of the Summit presentations!

The work that you’re doing is finding a niche is SO powerful.  It can also be really, really challenging at first.

Just like Mike Allebach (the Tattooed Bride Photographer) who “accidentally” found his niche through his love of punk music and tattoos, you’ll fall into it without realizing.

Choosing the perfect, profitable niche for your wedding business isn’t something you force; it has everything to do with YOU.  

You attract your perfect niche naturally because of who you are.  Then when you start to realize what you’re already doing (like you are right now!) you’ll be able to communicate it more effectively to laser target exactly the couples you want to work with.

Now, for your niche idea.

The whole point of targeting your message for a particular niche is to communicate clearly, powerfully and irresistibly with the target clients you want to attract.  To do that, you need to help them identify themselves as your perfect client.

Help Your Couples See You As the Perfect Fit

Ask these questions:

• What words would your perfect client use to describe herself?

• What concerns and challenges does she come to you with?

• What situation does she find herself in that if she read about it on your site would make her say, “That’s me!  This is exactly what I’m looking for.”

Out of the phrases you’ve suggested, the ones that jump out are the specifics:

slightly vintage-inspired…lace and twine

organized…professional women

These are phrases specific enough that I could identify myself (or someone else) with them.

Maybe your specialty is better expressed in terms of style and personality?  “I help organized, professional brides capture the amazing details of their vintage-inspired wedding.”  Or  you might use the phrase “romantic lace,” if that’s how they would describe their weddings.

You can also target your niche by addressing their specific concerns.  Like this…

I help brides:

• Who don’t love the spotlight, but want to reveal their natural inner beauty in their wedding photos.

• Love vintage-inspired details, like lace and twine.

• Who are busy and organized, and want to relax and enjoy a wedding day that really feels like them without being annoyed by a pushy photographer.

I’m using my imagination here.  Whatever the main concerns they come to you with, the big dreams they have, speak to them in a way that’s specific enough to identify with your target brides and alienate the ones you don’t want.  Sometimes their emotional concerns are the most specific and powerful ways to reach them if they don’t fit into a specific category, like “party animal,” “hipster” or “romantic.”

Our niche in wedding entertainment was working primarily with hipster couples who lived and worked in Manhattan in the finance industry (who knew?) and who also had eclectic taste in music.  But they didn’t always identify themselves as “hipsters.”

We’d focus on the specifics they DID relate to: musicians and music lovers, determined NOT to have a cheesy wedding, don’t want the Chicken Dance

You’re on it, Sophie!  Dig a little deeper into the emotional needs, desires and concerns of your target bride and how she would express them.  That’s the way in.

“Finding your niche” isn’t something you do once.  You’ll discover it, then go deeper as you get better and better at identifying and communicating it in your marketing.

Your niche really finds you; it just takes awhile to recognize it.  🙂

What do you think about attracting your ideal couples?

Photo credit