[TBB #46] Defining a niche for your practice
Updated: Mar 7
Why niching works
Missed the previous issue? Read it here.
I've been a loyal Apple products user for the past 23 years.
My computers, phones, and early MP3 players have all been made by Apple.
It's not that I think that other products aren't as good, I just know that I will always be a Mac, not a PC.
I started my career as a graphic designer and when I bought my first computer, Mac was the obvious choice. Because Apple made products for people like me.
Artists and designers were Apple's first niche. The company understood them, their needs, and aspirations. That's how it grew, innovated, focused on other audiences and now owns the largest smartphone market share in the world.
We are not Apple. We can just learn from its success.
If you're worried that focusing on a niche will alienate potential clients, you're not alone. It's a common worry among providers with a wide array of expertise.
But consider this. How would it feel when a new client shows up for your first appointment trusting that you're the right therapist for them?
Focusing on a niche can do that for you.
Marketing to a specific group of people with similar needs will help you develop this trust by showing that you see them and their pain.
If you're not sure how to define your niche, you can start asking yourself these questions.
The "shock value" campaign
Speaking of pain. Ophelia Health launched an intentionally provocative campaign to promote OUD treatment with MAT through Telehealth.
The tagline “Fu*ck Rehab.” is meant to attract attention and shed light on arguably low numbers of opioid rehab success through abstinence.
This campaign is delivered by concert-style posters with provocative messaging about rehab for opioids throughout Philadelphia, PA, and Bangor, Maine.
The impact of this campaign is still unknown.
The word of the year
According to Miriam-Webster dictionary, searches for the word "gaslighting" have increased by 1,740% in 2022.
The word grew in its use in the past 4 years and has been searched for every day of the past year.
Because Miriam-Webster chooses the word of the year based solely on data, there's no separation between searches for correct spelling or definition.
For context, the word of the year in 2021 was "vaccine".
Mental health during menopause
If you're exploring niching options for your practice, here's a relatively neglected one in the industry.
The House of Commons surveyed 2,000 women about menopause at work and found that 69% reported feeling anxious or depressed.
Another survey of 4,000, commissioned by Channel 4 found that one in 10 had quit their jobs because of menopause symptoms.
Despite that, mental health in menopause remains relatively unexplored. In part, because it coincides with other life-changing events such as sick parents, children moving out, and marital changes.
In search for accessible help
LifeStance Health is a new mental health technology company that is on a mission to bring accessible help to people with benefits to mental health providers.
Built to deliver hybrid care, they are agnostic as to where a patient seeks care. The company's president, Danish Qureshi, states:
"We can meet patients where they are while allowing our clinicians to have a more flexible and balanced caseload, which is a benefit to our clinicians as well. At the end of the day, we aren’t trying to force patients or clinicians into one setting or the other. It’s really about providing that flexibility depending on what’s best for their unique situation."
Curious about the benefits to clinicians, I checked the company's job board and found jobs with competitive salaries.
The Takeaway
This issue was focused on the topic of niching.
I chose this topic because it's truly the foundation of any marketing strategy. But also, some of you mentioned in my recent survey that you want to learn about it more.
If you feel like I haven't explored a topic you're interested in so far, let me know if there're topics that you'd like me to cover.
If you'd like to share your thoughts, just reply to this email. I always respond.