Niche and Audience Identification

Niche & Audience Identification Document

1. Niche Discovery Framework

When researching online communities (YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Facebook groups, Discord servers, Substack comments), look for:

  • Passion: Do members share content daily, argue about details, or invest money/time?

  • Underserved needs: Are they complaining about a lack of resources, products, or content?

  • Growth signals: Are new creators, micro-influencers, or startups popping up around it?

  • Monetization potential: Do they already spend on related products, subscriptions, or gear?

2. Candidate Niches (Examples of Micro-Communities)

  • Fitness → Narrow to: Menopausal women doing Pilates for hormone balance

  • Food → Narrow to: Fermentation hobbyists (kimchi, kombucha, sourdough)

  • Pets → Narrow to: Dog owners training reactive rescue dogs

  • Tech → Narrow to: AI tools for indie writers & self-publishers

  • Lifestyle → Narrow to: Digital nomad women 30–45 balancing remote work & relationships

  • Health → Narrow to: PCOS skincare & holistic self-care routines

3. Selected Niche: Fermentation Hobbyists (Food & Wellness)

This community is exploding on TikTok & Reddit but underserved in terms of organized learning, product bundles, and community-driven content.

Audience Persona: “Sophie the Fermentation Explorer”

  • Demographics

    • Age: 27

    • Gender: Female

    • Location: Urban, US/Europe (Brooklyn, Berlin, Copenhagen, London hotspots)

    • Income: $45k–$70k

    • Education: College-educated, curious about food science

  • Psychographics

    • Values: Sustainability, slow living, gut health, creativity in cooking

    • Lifestyle: Spends weekends at farmer’s markets, buys organic produce, experiments with DIY projects

    • Personality: Curious, experimental, shares “kitchen wins/fails” online

    • Motivations: Improve gut health, impress friends, reduce waste, create unique flavors

  • Challenges & Pain Points

    • Confusion about safe fermentation practices (mold, contamination fears)

    • Overwhelmed by conflicting advice on Reddit/YouTube

    • Limited access to starter kits or reliable suppliers

    • Wants recipes beyond the basics (kimchi, kombucha)

  • Content Consumption

    • YouTube: How-to tutorials, recipe deep dives (e.g., “wild fermentation basics”)

    • TikTok: Quick hacks, aesthetic jars, taste tests

    • Reddit: r/fermentation, r/kombucha for troubleshooting and recipes

    • Instagram/Pinterest: Visual inspiration, fermentation jars & recipe cards

  • Buying Behavior

    • Already spends on: Mason jars, fermentation crocks, kombucha SCOBYs, kefir grains

    • Open to: Subscription boxes (starter kits, seasonal spices, glass jars), online workshops, recipe ebooks, fermentation trackers/journals

4. Audience Activation Ideas

  • Launch a “Fermentation 101 Starter Kit” with SCOBY, jars, pH strips, and an ebook

  • Build a Discord/FB group where hobbyists troubleshoot and share wins

  • Partner with gut health influencers to expand awareness

  • Content hooks: “5 Fermentation Mistakes You’re Making,” “What Your Kombucha Says About You,” “Fermentation for Anxiety & Gut Health”

E-CommerceFrancesca Tabor