A Tight Niche isn't Permanent

Should you niche down?

What if you pick the wrong niche or put off all those potential buyers that don't fit the selected niche?

Check out the first image below. It was the first GoPro website in 2004.

GoPro is targeting a tight niche. There's the hero picture of a surfer, a subheading of Pivoting Waterproof Wrist Camera, reference to polycarbonate waterhousing (protective casing for underwater photography), functional to 15 feet, waterproof deeper. Also seems that the product shot on the right is with someone in a wetsuit. It's free shipping to mainland USA.

They clearly defined their niche as surfers in the US that want to take action photography.

Yes, they reference that you can keep your ski gloves on when taking photos, but the primary niche is clear.

The benefit

Once they pick their niche, they create compelling copy and visuals (plus product features) with that one niche in mind. The product's purpose and benefits are immediately obvious. They get the most out of a limited marketing budget, advertising and contributing in the places where surfers hang out. They benefit from word of mouth because everyone in the niche knows everyone.

Compare that image with the GoPro Homepage in 2023.

It's still clearly a camera for outdoor activities, but those activities are much broader now. There are ten, ranging from Powersports to Pets + Kids.

The tight niche at the start helped them get traction, and it didn't limit their prospects.

The beauty of working in a digital environment is that you can change your positioning anytime. You can change messaging across all platforms within the next week if you want to.

Like GoPro, you can start with a tight position to get momentum, then transition upwards to broader categories when you outgrow the niche.

As a startup, it's easier to build momentum on a budget with a tight niche, but a tight niche doesn't have to be permanent.