How to Find Your Niche Based on the Joys That Inspire You

To find a niche for your content or brand, you might start by doing research online for what's already popular. But that could be a mistake because if your niche is true to you and your life, it's probably already found you. You just may not realize the value of it. 

I do a lot of technical writing, research, and digital marketing with my work. So, my first idea for a niche would be marketing and brand development. But the problem with only doing work for other brands is that it frequently leaves me craving a creative outlet. 

Focusing on Creative Interests

I finished a freelance contract this past September, and in the first couple weeks of October, I switched to creating content for myself while I looked for another project. I had a list of content I wanted to work on this year, but I didn't have the bandwidth while I was really busy. 

Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. -- Pablo Picasso

At first, my idea was to drum up business by focusing on marketing content. But after publishing a blog, I realized that I would most likely be on another time-consuming project soon and wouldn't have time to make the content that meant the most to me. So, I decided to turn my iPhone around and start filming the stuff I was excited about personally.

Last week, it was all about happy meal toys. I was collecting the Cactus Plant Flea Market Cactus Buddies and had ordered a lot of vintage McDonald's toys on eBay. Filming happy meal toys may not be listed as a top skill for any job, but it made me happy. I'm in the process of moving, so most of my toy collection is stored. These videos allow me to enjoy these toys even when they're not around. And that joy is what keeps me going during stressful times.

Leaning Into Passion

Many times this past week, I questioned whether it was wise to film myself playing with toys in the middle of the workweek. It felt like I was doing something wrong–like my proverbial boss was gonna look over my shoulder and shake their head. 

But then, once I began publishing the toy content, I realized I was making it for myself, which felt good. These toy videos make me smile when I watch them back. And the idea of making this sort of content consistently doesn't feel like work because I would be collecting these toys regardless of whether I turn them into content or not.

Creating content isn't just about giving people what they want. It's giving people what they want from you. And what most people want is for you to be passionate about what you're doing because that connects you to their passions.

Once I collected all four Cactus Buddies from McDonald's, I posted a YouTube Short that got considerably more views than any other video has in the first hour. When I shared it with my friends and family, most responded by saying that I had found my niche. I had been so happy with the additions to my toy collection I hadn't thought about it as something to pursue. And that's probably because it had already found me.

I'm unsure if my toy content will go further than a sprinkling of joy on my YouTube channel, but it has helped me understand myself and my niche differently. Researching low-competition keywords and checking out what other creators are doing is helpful, but your niche should be born from passion if you want to create a purpose-driven brand.