This Is How I’d Pick My Creator Niche If I Had To Start All Over

3 Simple rules creators should follow for maximum visibility, profits & peace of mind.

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If I’d get a dollar every time I tell new creators they need to clarify their message and focus on a niche, I’d have a lot of extra dollars.

I know “finding your niche” sucks.

It’s annoying.

It’s boring.

And at times, it makes you feel like a failure because you just don’t know what your niche is.

The whole idea of picking a niche can feel daunting because you think you’ll miss out on dozens of opportunities that won’t match your niche.

But here’s the harsh truth: You can’t have it all.

Building a profitable and sustainable creator business means you have to make decisions.

The only content creation industry is booming. Monetizing your ideas, knowledge, and art is easier than ever, but if you don’t know who you’re creating for, it’ll be tough to build an audience and income.

Specificity and personality are the differences between passionate creators and well-paid creators.

Anyone can create content.

Anyone can publish content.

But only those who say *no* often stand out and build a loyal following.

I started to write online in 2018 and made lots of mistakes.

• I didn’t have a niche

• I didn’t know how to actually write on the internet

• And I wasn’t consistent

But 6 years and 600 articles later, I’m smarter.

And if I had to start all over, I’d follow these rules to discover and refine my niche:

1 Million People

The first question you want to ask yourself is, are there one million people who’re potentially interested in what I do?

This might sound odd, but it helps you ensure you create for a significant potential audience.

The internet allows you to reach hundreds of millions of people, but if you don’t even have the potential to reach one million, your efforts might go to waste.

This doesn’t mean you need to reach one million people. There are creators leading multi-million businesses with small audiences.

It’s just the idea that one million people in the whole world could be potentially interested in what you do.

If that’s not the case, your topic might be too narrow or unspecific.

One million potential prospects aren’t much if you consider that you can reach people from nearly all corners of the globe.

I was able to reach nearly 400,000 readers in a single month by writing on Medium.

To better illustrate, imagine you’re a passionate runner and want to create content for first-time marathon runners to help them finish the race with a smile on their face.

A quick search shows that more than one million people run a marathon each year.

The number of people who’re interested in running marathons is significantly higher, so that’s a win and our topic is approved. There’s obviously a huge target market we could serve.

$1,000,000

On top of the potential to reach one million people, you also want to consider whether your topic/niche has the potential to generate $1,000,000 in yearly revenue.

I know this is huge, but hear me out: I understand if your financial goal is way lower than a million dollars per year.

I understand if you’d be thrilled to make a fraction of that.

But here’s why this matters: If you can’t see your topic leading to $1,000,000 in revenue, it probably won’t lead to $100,000 or $10,000 either.

This is about testing the profitability of your niche, no matter what your financial goals are.

The question is, are you able to monetize your topic at all?

I see so many passionate creators who have creative ideas but lack a basic understanding of business, marketing, and human psychology.

But here’s the painful truth: As a creator, you don’t get paid for the work you do or the hours you spend working.

You get paid for the value you create.

And value can look different depending on your target audience, the monetization options you pick, the type of content you create, and the platforms you use.

Sometimes, value means learning something new.

Sometimes, value is a shortcut.

Sometimes, it’s being entertained.

Either way, your work needs to be worth paying for.

Luckily, you don’t necessarily have to get paid by your audience.

You can get paid by platforms (e.g., If you monetize through Youtube’s Partner Program).

You can get paid by sponsors and collaborative partners.

You can get paid through a subscription model (e.g., Medium’s Partner Program or your own Substack/paid newsletter).

You have endless opportunities.

What matters is that you feel confident about creating so much value for certain people or companies that they eventually pay you.

Let’s think of the marathon runner example again.

Someone who’s struggling financially won’t think of running a marathon.

Instead, those who prepare for a race are usually willing to make a financial investment, so they are well-equipped and ready to run without pain or injuries.

If you’re a creator helping marathon runners, you have dozens of profitable opportunities to monetize your work:

• You can form paid partnerships with brands that support marathon runners.

• You can be an affiliate partner for creators or companies who sell products or services to runners.

• You can team up with local races and be an ambassador for them.

• You can sell your own products (e.g., checklists, nutrition plans, training schedules, etc.).

• You can coach runners on a 1-on-1 basis to help them get the best results based on their individual circumstances.

• You can host in-person workshops or trainings (which you can use to create online content!)

And much more…

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Know, Love & Done

Lastly, but most importantly, pick your niche based on whether you know your stuff, love it, and have real-life experience.

I see way too many beginners trying to pick a niche solely based on profitability without any passion or experience. That’s the surest way to fail.

Picking a job you don’t even care about sounds horrible to me — and it’s the same for choosing a niche you don’t feel connected to.

Building a thriving business as a creator means showing up consistently. It requires discipline, long hours, and maybe even some sacrifices.

You don’t build a content business by posting a few photos, videos, or articles. It’s a matter of years or even decades of work.

And trust me: Showing up and doing the work will feel much easier if you care about the content you create.

Pick something that you’re experienced in.

Pick something you like.

Finding your voice, sharing your message, and building your tribe will feel so much easier if your niche fits you.

Think of all the things in your life you’ve done.

Think of the struggles you faced and the hardships you went through.

Think of what you’re good at.

And find a sweet spot that matches your previous experience, your current interests, and your personality.

Creating content is so much easier if you can relate to your audience and their goals, fears, and struggles.

You got this!