It usually starts with someone saying, “I’ve done everything right. I’ve got the lead magnet, the website, the SEO. I’m posting on Instagram. So… why isn’t it working?”

It’s not because they’re lazy. Or clueless. Or not trying hard enough.

It’s usually because they’re solving the wrong problem. Or worse—trying to solve every problem for everyone.

I get it. Saying, “I help people” feels good. It feels open, generous, welcoming. But when you’re trying to help everyone with everything, no one knows you’re actually talking to them. It’s like standing in a room full of strangers yelling, “Can I help you?” and wondering why nobody raises their hand.

You don’t need to help everyone. You just need to help someone with a problem they know they have.

That’s your niche.

Not a demographic. Not a vague audience segment. A problem you can fix, that people are already frustrated by, and already looking for help with.

So if you want to build a niche that actually makes people say, “Yes, finally, this is what I need,” start with the pain point. The actual, real-life thing that’s making someone sigh at their laptop, or pace around their kitchen at 11 p.m., or re-read the same Google search result for the fifth time.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic. It just has to be real.

A mom who wants to fit back into her jeans without counting calories. A business owner who’s tired of spending $3,000 a month on ads that don’t work. A nonprofit leader who’s drowning in paperwork and just wants a system that makes their day easier. A shy, brilliant teen who needs someone to help her build the confidence to pitch her startup idea at school.

That’s your in. Not “women ages 25–40,” or “small business owners.” But someone with a specific struggle that you know how to solve.

When I figured this out for my own business, everything changed. I stopped trying to be the go-to for all things marketing, and I started focusing on one thing: helping people who had amazing businesses but no idea how to talk about them online.

That was it. I helped them find their message. Clarify their offer. Write in a way that felt like them. And it worked. Because they weren’t looking for a generic marketer. They were looking for that.

And the best part? I didn’t need to chase people. Because once they saw I could solve their actual problem, they came to me.

It wasn’t magic. It was alignment.

So if you’re feeling like your business is invisible—even though you’re doing all the things—this might be the thing that needs to shift.

Stop asking, “Who do I want to help?”

Start asking, “What problem do I want to solve?”

Then build everything around that. Your content, your website, your offers. Make it so specific it feels like a conversation that was already happening in someone’s head—and then you walked in with the answer.

Because that’s what people really want. Not more noise. Not more experts yelling about success in vague, glossy terms. They want relief. Clarity. A solution that feels like it was made for them.

That’s what a real niche is.

Not just a category. A promise.

I see your problem. I get it. And I know how to fix it.

Say that. Mean it. Build everything from there.

And watch what happens.