I didn't intend to write an article about niches for financial advisors.
However, when I went looking on the web for a list, I couldn't find one! Amazing! Why? Years ago, when I examined the history of niche marketing, the information available suggested that this strategy originated in the financial sector!
You may remember a time when you banked at a commercial bank if you were a business, and a personal bank if you weren't a business. You didn't go to a personal bank if you wanted a business loan and you didn't go to a commercial bank if you wanted a residential mortgage. Or maybe you remember a time when brokerage firms were either institutional or retail.
Looking at Niches
Niches are very broad segments of the population. They can be categorized by general characteristics such as an occupation, a passion/hobby, or by the type of service consumed. In many cases, the categories overlap. A niche has nothing to do with who can afford to pay you what you're worth--that's Step 2 and it involves creating an ideal client profile.
Below is a list of potential niches for financial advisors. Did I miss your niche? What would you add to the list? If you own a niched website send me the URL. Post your responses below.
General Population Characteristics
- Executives from companies you know well
- Women
- Retirees
- Business lawyers
- Divorce attorneys
- Athletes
- Military
- Defense
- Divorced Women
- Divorced Men
- Widows
- Industry-specific professionals
- Professional couples with children
- Unmarried women professionals
- Physicians specializing in a particular human or animal practice area
- Older women married to younger men
- Older men married to younger women with 2nd families
- High net worth
- Affluent
- Specific religions
- Specific nationalities
- Specific sexual orientation
- Scout leaders
- Unemployed with 401K plans
- Middle market executives
- Women CEOs
- Registered Investors
- Graduates of specific colleges
- Members of a club you're a member of
- Estate attorneys
- Franchise business owners
- Under-40 business owners
- SAHM
- Business owners in specific industries
- Chefs
- Family-owned businesses
- Restaurant Owners
Passion/Hobby
- Golfers
- Boaters
- Wine enthusiasts
- Football fans with season tickets
- Athletes
- Fishing
- Travel
- Home beer brewers
- Quilters
- Chess players (or other games)
- RV-ers
- Pet owners/breeders (dogs, cats, snakes)
- Chocolate lovers
- Car restoration/collectors
- Coin collectors
- NASCAR fans
Type of Service Consumed
- Wealth management
- Life planning
- Fee-based financial planning
- Business planning
- Business succession planning
- Retirement planning
- Tax reduction strategies
- Insurance
- Education/college savings
- Personal financial planning
- Retirement distribution planning
- Estate planning & conservation
- Investment management planning
- Socially responsible investments
Niched Website Examples:
While looking for niched websites, I came across one that listed age groups from 20 to 70, along with descriptions of the services offered to each age group. That is not a niched website. Most financial advisors' websites aren't niched. Below are a few that have used niches to their advantage:
Kelly Guncheon works with socially-responsible individuals. April Rudkin of The Rudkin Group submitted Russ Thornton's website. Russ works with women throughout the divorce process and beyond. The style, words, and photographs of Kelly's and Russ's websites clearly define their client niches.