I've Got a Niche Idea, Now What?
For Reluctant Marketers:
A low-risk, high-value way to
test your new niche,
build an engaged list and
start attracting your right-fit clients
A new approach to making sure you’ve got a workable niche. It’s called a 100Project.
Before we get there...
You’ve had the “Eureka-Oh Sh*t Moment” where you finally have clarity on your niche (on a scale from 0-10, you’re a 7 or 8 with how clear you feel) and you have an idea of what you can offer to your people. Now you're wondering and worried about how to put it "out there".
You want to know without a doubt:
You really want to be of service NOW.
So, how do you get started?
It's a predicament.
You're finally clear, which makes you excited. BUT the market is untested and you're (rightly) concerned that it will flop.
Afraid this failure will be proof that you're not cut out for this and your business is never gonna take off. You’re not sure you can take another disappointment (and maybe your family is growing impatient too and wondering if your business will ever be viable).
You've had a couple of clients and want to have a business that's running, like yesterday. Without a tested offer OR a list, where can you actually get started?
Regardless of how you get started sharing your work, an ideal approach achieves these four aims:
Aim #1
It's a low-risk way for BOTH you and your potential clients to make an initial connection.
Aim #2
You learn more about your people, helping you better market to the right-fit people and filter-out the rest.
Aim #3
You experience designing and delivering an offer that your people rave about to others.
Aim #4
It creates new connections and provides a logical gateway into your paid offers for those that it's the right fit.
You've tried in the past or are hesitant about:
Posting on social media
Creating a free PDF,
Emailing your (small) list,
Starting a free group,
Offering free calls, or
Hosting a workshop.
Few hit all the four aims. Plus, these approaches may feel intimidating, don’t resonate, aren’t aligned with your values, or have been ineffective at creating high-quality connections. All great reasons to stay out of the arena when it comes to growing your business.
Speaking of staying out of the arena...
Announcing yourself into the marketplace feels risky for many coaches, healers and online service providers with a new niche and a small list. It can bring up fear of rejection, imposter complex, perfectionism and along with those come self-doubt, procrastination, overwhelm and distraction.
This can especially be the case for those who identify as introverted, intuitive or highly sensitive.
Many of the mainstream options focus solely on increasing visibility. Moving you from invisibility (being behind the scenes) to being visible (public and “out there”).
What’s missing from the “just do it” model are the very real risks and fears that arise when we, as humans, move along this continuum.
For reluctant marketers, this additional dimension of fear, risk and safety must be acknowledged in the strategies we choose to share and connect with people in the marketplace.
When reluctant marketers aren’t aware of this additional dimension of fear and risk they often find themselves in one of two states:
Productive procrastination, where you’re working on our website copy or taking another course, staying busy while not ever sharing and connecting or testing your niche.
Forcing and formulaic, where you force ourselves to “put on your big underwear”, choose a mainstream tactic that doesn’t really feel good or right, inevitably engaging in self-defeating actions.
There are many strategies you can use to lower the risk and build your business from a foundation of safety. From a state of safety you can begin to share and connect with people composed and based in truth.
When your approach to putting yourself "out there" includes one more more of these safety factors you can more easily and sustainably get started sharing your work.
Now, I’d like to introduce my new low-risk approach that centers these safety factors as you test your niche and validate an offer idea and doesn’t require hours on social media or one-to-one calls.
I call it the 100Project.
What is a 100Project?
Providing a free low-risk high-quality mini-service exclusively to 100 individuals.
Here's how it works -
Providing a free mini-service allows you to test and validate your niche in the marketplace before pouring time, money and energy into building a comprehensive offer.
It builds your list, and gives you insight into your future clients while serving them and spending less time marketing.
Wondering what a mini-service could look like, here are some ideas:
Work-from-Home Posture Assessment For a Fitness Coach with a new niche of people who work from home and struggle with back pain.
Instagram Stories Audit
For a Social Media Manager that wants to focus on helping online business owners sell in their stories.
Love Scene Review
For a Book Coach that helps novelists and is thinking of providing a niche offer for erotica writers.
Communicating in Conflict
For a Relationship Coach thinking about working with intimate partners having the same fight.
Menopausal Pantry Audit
For an Ayurvedic Doctor wanting to support women in menopause to manage their symptoms naturally.
Financial-Astrology Reading
For a Money Coach that wants to experiment with bringing astrology into their work with clients.
The Benefits of a 100Project
Providing a free high-value mini-service sets you apart in the market and is far more effective at connecting with potential clients and will take less time than posting, creating free pdfs or filling your own 100-person workshop.
Some of the many benefits that come out of the process are:
RELEVANCE: People easily recognize themselves in your copy and enthusiastically raise their hand to learn more.
GROW YOUR LIST: Increase your list with right-fit people who have had an experience with you.
MARKET RESEARCH: Collect high-quality information from your potential clients, including how they describe their problem and what they want.
CONTENT: Gather an abundance of content ideas that will last you years.
MASTERY: Become masterful at a depth in your craft that others can’t compete with.
SOCIAL PROOF: Receive glowing testimonials and recommendations (without even asking).
NETWORK: Easily make and deepen relationships with allies and ambassadors.
REPUTATION: Stand out in a sea of freebies and become known for a niche you own.
Where the 100Project Came From
I came across a few people on the internet that could use help with niching and simply offered them a niche review (my own mini-service). I did so without any strategy, meaning the people didn't even end up on my email list 🙈. Those who received a niche review appreciated my insights and it seemed to make a difference. I decided to put some energy behind it and add a touch of strategy 📧.
The review was simple and easy for me and I didn't see the value so I decided to offer them widely and for free. My mentor said, “maybe put a limit to how many you'll do it for free”.
My immediate reaction was “100!!!!”
A new challenging project to keep me busy.
My history of sharing freebies was that it felt like pushing a boulder uphill - a lot of energy expended that went nowhere fast. So, I expected it would take six months or more to fill all 100 spaces.
To my utter surprise, all the spots were taken and I gave out 100 reviews in 5 weeks!
Additionally:
LIST GROWTH: 150 new people joined my list over 5 weeks (3x from my original list of 50ish).
ENGAGMENT: 77% of people who opted-in personally replied and a majority gave a glowing testimonial without prompting (you DO NOT get that kind of response from an free PDF).
CLIENTS: More than $2000 in revenue (with relatively low-cost products from $50-$250 and no clear or immediate offer following the free service… because building the plane as I was flying it).
SPEAKING: Two requests to speak to groups.
CONFIDENCE: Gained clarity in my model and within 30 days gave two signature workshops and created a free starter kit.
MORE TO SHARE: So much content that I started a weekly podcast (and have episodes outlines for years).
WORD OF MOUTH: Finding that my reputation now precedes me and I'm being recommended in circles where my right-fit clients hangout.
A Guide for Your 100Project
Since launching my 100Project I get asked regularly “what could I do for a 100Project?” and I want you to know that you can absolutely do it on your own.
If you’d like personalized support and guidance, to learn the principles that I stumbled upon and the strategies I wish I’d had in my pocket and not have to come up with all the elements from scratch, then I’d be happy to learn more about you and your business and see if we're a fit.
Here’s what it would look like to work together:
Phase 1: The Preparation
You use an easy-to-complete template to gather the pertinent information we need to design your project. Suggested Time: 3-6 hours
Phase 2: The Design
We meet for a half-day VIP session where we begin developing your mini-service and craft an initial plan to get the word out. Before we part, you'll provide admin access to landing page and email platforms to build your mini-service on. Suggested Time: 4-5 hours
Phase 3: The Test-Drive
You'll receive a draft mini-service that you can test and gather real feedback and provide review of draft copywritten material. Suggested time: 2-3 hours
Phase 4: It's Go Time!
Within 2 weeks of your VIP session you'll have delivered all the components and plan to start promoting and delivering your 100Project, including:
Final mini-service tool
Landing page
Email automations
10 pieces of draft promotion content
This is designed as a VIP Done-For-You Support
Beta Cost: $500
Only 3 spots available.
PLUS!
You'll receive 30 days of text-based follow-up support you can access M-F for questions and guidance.
Ready to Get Started?
Click here to fill out an application to ensure we're a fit for working together.
Working together on a 100Project May Be a Great Fit If, You're:
A coach, healer or service-based solopreneur who identifies with being introverted, intuitive, or highly-sensitive.
Have niched down or pivoted to a new target market and want to test and gain evidence in the marketplace before spending time, money or energy on further developing an offer.
Can dedicate up to 4 hours per week to delivering a remarkable mini-service over 2-12 weeks to 100 people. Or have a team to support you. A
Growth-minded, willing to experiment and see business as a long-game.
Want to be safe, ethical and authentic and create real connection with people.
Working together on a 100Project will NOT be a great fit if you:
Don’t have a clear niche or don’t have a specific problem that you focus on helping a target audience with (and have no interest in getting support on this).
Don’t have any contacts or a network and are unwilling to make new connections with people in your niche or industry.
Are unwilling to offer your support for free, even for a limited number of people.
This is a Beta Offer
Personally, I have experienced the momentous effects of a successful 100Project and I don't believe that I'm a special snowflake or that my circumstances were unique.
BUT...
I don't have proof. I'm looking for courageous souls who want to try out this well-thought out (and yet still early-phase) concept. You will be asked for feedback throughout our time together to serve a continuous improvement loop.
Does that mean there is more risk in this offer?
Yes. This is not a proven model.
Does it also mean that I am as dedicated to your success as you are? 100%. I'm genuinely always committed to my clients' success. In this case, your success implementing this project benefits me through your case studies and testimonials. I'm ready to invest my time with those who are also committed to taking action, building skills and growing their business.
If that's you, I welcome you to apply to work together.
This is where I’m supposed to add a final effort to convince you with manufactured urgency and inspiration that’s steeped in scarcity.
Instead, I offer you deep gratitude for reading my words on this page. It has been no small effort to first create this offer so it is magic for all who join, and then frame it into words that honestly convey it as an invitation to you.
If this is the right time for you to join me, wonderful.
If you have questions, send an email or book a call so I can clarify anything I’ve missed.
If now is not the right time and you’d like to stay in touch about future amazingness, join my newsletter, where I share life and lessons for reluctant marketers each week.
Courageously Yours,
❤️ Amanda Jane
