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“I’ve never really thought about myself as a buyer. Of course I buy things, but I am someone’s niche. What do other people think about me? How am I targeted?”
Hello! If you're new around here, my name is Krystal and I've committed to journaling every day for a year. I write these raw journal entries. What is unique about my style of writing is that I don't necessarily follow the rules or writing. My aim is to write as closely as I talk. What you will also find in my journal entries is transparency. I give you a front row seat to my inner dialogue. That inner critic who shows up from time to time, I show you exactly when it shows up and how I shift. My hope is that I inspire you to keep on going despite what your inner critic is telling you at the moment.
March 20th, 2021
They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. But I'm not sure if I’ve ever believed that or not. I ate vegetables one time for 21 days straight. It was actually 6 months straight, Where I was hoping to form a habit to continue to eat vegetables every day. And that habit did not stick.
Despite that, I’m going to keep going.
I did not get a chance to finish the book yesterday. I got one chapter completed and it talked about how to connect with influences to help spread the word of your product. The author talked about making relational deposits before going in for the ask. Deposits are giving or buying their product, investing in them before asking if they will talk about your product on their platform.
The other point he made was to go to where your audience is and don’t ask them to come to you. For example, if your audience hangs out on TikTok, don’t ask them to come to instagram. I choose that example because that’s me. I’m in that category.
I dont use instagram, and usually when people ask me to go check out their insta, I’m like, “No” or I go over there and I’m like, “No, I don’t want to be here” and don’t hear me wrong here, I like instagram, I just haven’t spent time on the platform so i’m just not as familiar with it.
I’m a buyer who buys things on Amazon most often. I also have an MBA, (well almost), I’ve spent most of my career in a business setting. I’m a skeptical buyer. I don't want to buy from just anyone. Especially If I don’t trust where their information is coming from. IE someone selling a course. If I don’t trust you, and no one else is talking about you I won’t buy your course. And I also realize, I’m just not their target audience. I’m someone else's.
Ok before I continue, this is interesting. I’ve never really thought about myself as a buyer. Of course I buy things, but I am someone’s niche. What do other people think about me? How am I targeted?
The obvious demographics. I’m a Mom of two young children, who is 35 years old, middle class.
Buying behaviors: Most of my purchases take place on Amazon. When I think of something I want I check out Amazon first. I shop at Aldi because I like to save money and time when shopping for groceries.
I get my education from books, usually popular personal and professional development books. I watch Youtube to a point, But YouTube is a little too superficial for me. I like the depth of knowledge I get from books.
Emotional buying: Emotions I want to feel when I’m buying something. Relief. Calm, hopeful,
Categories of products I buy most often: Books, Home goods, Toys for my kids, food.
To sum things up, I want to feed my mind, make my home feel cozy, buy toys for my kids so they can use their imagination and grow, and Food so we are all healthy and eating well. While doing so I want to feel calm and hopeful that the thing I just bought will make my family more connected, warm and wholesome.
That was a fun exercise. Seeing myself that way makes me really think about my potential buyer of my potential products and brands one day.
Another note, I’m trying to think of brands I buy from, that I know their brand and I trust them. The first big brands that come to mine, I trust Walmart, Target, Aldi, Amazon, Clubfitness, Costco, Starbucks. I go to those places regularly. A minimum of once a month for each. Some upwards of 12-20 times each per month. They have created brands I trust. That I walk into consistently. I could go somewhere else, but I’m their niche and I keep being drawn back to them. I can get in and get out most of the time. The products I’m lookin for are right there. I like to sometimes be “told what to buy” with advertising. I get decision fatigue if Ihave to think about what I'm going to buy.
Unless I'm at a place like the dollar store, then I’m ok with the rummage through stuff to find something neat. But I don’t do that very often…ok that’s a lie i do that at least once or twice a month. It’s kinda fun to go on an adventure in those stores to see what I can find. That thing that has been on my list in my subconscious mind to buy for a long time, that I finally, and randomly find one day.
Oh my goodness, this is so interesting. Even with that, I’m someone’s niche. Someone out there was like, my niche is the 30-40 year old mom, who has small kids, who at least once or twice a month wants to find something fun and be adventurous. She takes her small kids to the dollar store to find fun and inexpensive things. She doesn't quite know what she’s looking for, but when she finds it she knows it. She also buys 5-10 things for her kids that they want because they also love just wandering around the store picking up random things” so we must carry a bunch of random stuff.
On the flip side, there is a niche of people who go to the dollar store because it is the affordable option and that is a niche too.
In both situations, it’s a low cost way to get some essential and non-essential items.
There are literally so many ways to define a niche. I’m probably in 100 different niches. Different products put me into different types of categories.
The mom who buys coffee and wants a fun atmosphere - Starbucks
The cost-conscious coffee buyer, who wants decent coffee at an affordable price - Costco with their branded beans
The mom who wants to work out, she likes to be in a smaller intimate setting - Clubfitness with their women's only section
The entrepreneurial woman who wants to start a business but doesn't have website designing skills - Wix
The knowledge hungry person who prefers to get information from books - Books [insert book title and Author]
And the list goes on
Before diving into this, I was thinking about the niche as the whole person. Meaning that each person only fits into one niche. Or at least I think that is how I was thinking of it. It's kinda hard to articulate.
But after diving into this, and doing this exercise on myself, I can see how we all fit into many different niches. So when I think about my target buyer, I can be really specific about them, in that moment in time when they would buy my product. That will really help me connect with them.
Ok great. Well I’ve learned something new today which is pretty cool! Again this is why I love journaling without a plan. I never really know where I’m going with it. And doing this every day, I can see how I am evolving and changing as the days are passing.
Now I get to be thoughtful about my buyer. Really connect with them.
You may or may not be wondering what I am selling.
I sell books. For now it’s in the form of kids books and eventually I’ll sell a book for adults. I could see my turning this blog into an actual book one day.
I have a long, fun, and unknown road ahead of me. I have so many places I can go with it,
It’s funny because yesterday I spent some of the morning doing research and thinking about different products I might want to create or products to sell, I almost forgot about my books that I’ve already written and the vision I have for those books.
Up until a couple of days ago, the thought was, “I want to create a brand of books where I have at least 150 kids books”
I just didn’t know where to start. I knew that I couldn’t just sell books because no one knows me or trusts me. I’ve made little to no deposits in the market’s bank and can’t just go and be an ask-hole (as Ryan says in the book 12 months to 1 million) so I was thinking of ways to build my brand, build trust, and make deposits before I could really sell any book. So I was thinking about it in the right way, but just wasn’t sure how to frame it all.
Now after reading that book 12 months to 1 million, I see now that I get to be really intentional about the brand I’m creating and how my products fit under that brand, AND what are the products that I can release and sell to keep the momentum going. So having 3-5 products in the hopper waiting to be released is important.
So the work I get to do now is nail down the niche that I am selling into. Be so clear about their buying habits in the moments that they are willing to buy my product.
Then from there I can think about the products I’ll make, whether it's more books, or plushies or something. I mean I have 3-5 products that I can sell. Books, Plushies, Stress Ball ( in the form of the Worry Bug, Coloring books), work books, Lesson Plans.
During my research phase I can work with teachers to help me develop some of this stuff.
This part honestly makes me so uncomfortable! I know feedback is good, but it’s still really hard for me to take. Because my worry bug, inner critic is like
If you bring this to teachers then they will just laugh in your face and tell you, you’re not qualified to sell stuff like this.
A kids mind is to sensitive and you don't’ know what you’re doing
You’re probably going to do more harm than good
This stuff about the inner critic is not something you can really teach kids
You’re idea will fall flat and then you’ll end up needing to find a new product to sell because this will never take off.
Ugh, those thoughts feel so heavy! My whole back just tensed up when thinking those thoughts.
Those are the thoughts that would normally cripple me, send me into a tailspin and make me give up.
And not today. Those thoughts are just thoughts.
What I am doing here is important, and I’ve got my own spin on it.
It can be successful if I say it will.
I have the tools and I have the mind set.
Ok that is enough for today, because it’s time to get my day started, and today I’m going to focus on my buyer. Get nice and focused on my niche.
Until tomorrow.
Much love,
Krystal Lavender
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