Local Marketing Agency: 122 Profitable Niches [Download]

You’re a digital marketing expert.  In theory you could work with any client.  All your prospect has to do is tell you what he  needs.  The problem is, he  may not know.  How many potential clients even know what a digital marketing expert really is?  How many understand what digital marketing is used for? This confusion often makes it hard to sell “digital marketing”. 

However, you can eliminate the confusion by focusing your services on the specific business needs of your prospect. Your focus will solidify in their minds what a digital marketing expert means for their store, their business, and their profitability. In turn, it becomes remarkably easy for you to quickly establish a client list for yourself that expands your business and reputation, giving you the ability to grow, all while providing valuable service. 

The simplest approach choosing a digital agency niche is to combine an industry focus with your local market.  Make yourself that area’s digital marketer.  The industry can be any type of business you are familiar with:: auto sales, daycare, or pet grooming, just for example. Once you have selected an industry to which you can offer your skills, you can speak directly to the client’s needs in language that they can apply to their business framework. Thus, you build a portfolio of experience to take to the next business in line.  

I will take you through the logic of selecting a niche, along with the positive benefits of marketing yourself locally in that niche.  Finding a special niche is as simple as looking at your own lifestyle and environment, and making a connection between what you know, and the clients who need you. 

$7 Pick a Niche! for Local Agencies

Includes:

  • Niche Selection Spreadsheet
  • "How to Pick a Niche" video training

Download the profitable niches and the niche selection worksheet - at this link

How to Pick a Niche and Run with It!

This video comes with a spreadsheet of niches that you can sell your digital marketing services to, but that list will just be a list unless you have some method of vetting and selecting from that niche. In this video I want to give you a method for how to do that, so you can quickly pick from that list, and move forward aggressively.

REMEMBER, selecting a niche is not about you. Picking a niche is actually about the client's ability to resonate with your services. The client needs to know that what you do speaks uniquely to them.  If you will select a niche, you will find that clients understand what you do a little better.  The better they understand that, the faster they'll move.  As a digital marketing expert, you might say, “I don't care what niche we serve. Just show me a client and I'll help them out.”  This is hard for the client to digest.  If the client does not know what they need, if they do not understand digital marketing’s potential or purpose, this statement is almost meaningless to them.  

Picking a niche and marketing yourself locally will launch you toward growing success.

Picking a niche is your FIRST choice not your LAST choice

Choosing a niche does not mean you are locking yourself for a lifetime of specific clients.  You're selecting a niche so you can move forward and get that next level of momentum. It's not the last choice you're going to make. As your career progresses, you could work another niche, you can go with another specialty down the line.  But, if you don't want decision number one, then you can't make decision number two. Right now, we're focusing on making decision number one, which is picking that niche.

Targeting local businesses is easier

Local businesses need help, and they know it.

Local businesses know that they need to be doing digital marketing in some way, but there's nobody on site who has that kind of knowledge. They may have a guy that did their website however long ago; they may have the lady who answers the phone also double as their social media person, but those people aren't specialized like you're specialized with your expertise. They don't have anybody who can actually make sense of their digital marketing efforts, so they know they need someone.

Smaller businesses make decisions more quickly.

Sure, you can sell to $10 million businesses or $20 million dollar businesses, but businesses of that size have bureaucracy. They make decisions via community and it can take forever to get a “yes.”  But if you talk to a $1 million, $2 million, or $5 million dollar business, you can speak directly with the owner and actually get a decision made. Remember too that many businesses we see as “local” may be larger than we think.

Focus on local is actually easier to scale.

If you can serve four or five clients in a given niche in your city, then you can just serve those same four or five clients in the next city, and the next city, and the next city. If you choose to scale, you just scale city by city. It's an easy method to scale if you're trying to build that kind of business.

Develop a personal connection: communication (and decisions) happen faster

What do I mean by personal connection? You're buying services from local businesses already, businesses that you can drive to, businesses that serve their local area. If you just look at your own bank account, your own bank statement, and you look at where you buy services from, most of those folks need some digital marketing help.

Make a personal connection before reaching out

Nothing makes conversation easier to start than a genuine connection, finding a common ground on which to meet. There are many ways to make a personal connection with a business for whom you think your services are perfect - and with that connection, you can let them know exactly why.

If you are a past customer, you have a connection.

If you make a personal connection, you can simply say, "Listen, I'm a customer of yours and I love what you guys do, but every time I go to your website, I have X issue. Who does your website work?" or, "Listen, I'd love to be able to find you guys on Facebook or share your content on Facebook, but y'all don't have a presence on Facebook. Who does your Facebook stuff?" or Twitter, or Snapchat, or YouTube, or whatever channel you happen to specialize in. 

It's the truth. You're a customer of theirs, you want to buy more of their stuff, you want to help other people buy more of their stuff, but they must do better in the digital space to do that, and you're the person to help. That's an easy conversation to have.

If you have worked in a related industry, you have a connection

Even if you don't buy anything from them per say, then the business may be in your personal history. For example, think about the first job you had coming out of college, or the second, or third. Was that a local business? 

If this industry is “in your family”, you have a connection

Think about the work that your father used to do, or your mother used to do, or your grandfather, your grandmother, your aunt, or your uncle. You saw how hard they worked during their careers. Did any of them work in a local business?

If so, then that becomes the talk track you use. You say, "Listen, my mother used to be an educator. My father used to work in a carpentry shop. I know how hard you guys work, and really, you should be better leveraging your digital marketing assets so that you can get more clients in the door." That's an easy story to have and the client resonates with your personal story. They know that you care about their business because you've got some personal connection.

A personal connection shows caring and understanding. It's easier to facilitate those conversations when you've made some kind of personal connection.

How to use the "Profitable Niches Excel Sheet"

Now let's talk about that list that you have access to. If you're on the blog, you can scroll down a bit and download a pre-organized spreadsheet. If you're not on the blog, you can click a link in the description, or you can get access to this downloadable spreadsheet. When you download the spreadsheet, you will find a number niches already sorted, with space for you to put your personal connection. What you'll do is scan and sort. 

  1. Scan all those niches, see if any of them resonate. 
  2. If they do, you'll just put a yes in the box. 
  3. Sort by the yeses, so all of those niches where you have some level of personal connection, you can see those four, five, or ten, or however many you have, and just begin to work those niches. 

There you have it. Niche selected!

Here is the list: 122 Profitable Niches

Automotive
Auto dealers
Auto Financing
Auto Repair
Car Rental
Motorcycle dealers
Window Tinting

Construction/Home Services
Air Conditioning/Heating
Bathroom Remodeling
Carpet Cleaners
Carpet Cleaning
Carpet Installation
Carpet Stores
Carpet, Rug, & Upholstery Services
Carpet, Rug, & Upholstery Storage & Repair
Carpets & Rugs Wholesale & Manufacturers
Decks & Porches
Fencing
Flooring
General Contractors
Glass repair
Handyman
Heating And Cooling
Home Theater Services
Housekeeping/Maid Services
Interior Designers
Kitchen Remodeling
Landscaping
Locksmiths
Painters
Pest Control
Plumbers
Pools & Spas
Roofing
Security Systems
Siding

Education
Private schools
Technical training centers
Vocational training

Events
Catering
Disc Jockeys
Florists
Limousine
Personal Chefs
Photography/Videography
Weddings

Financial
Bail Bonds
Bail Bonds Referral Services
Bail Bondsmen
Banking & Investment Law Attorneys
Bankruptcy Lawyers
Bankruptcy Services
Banks
Bookkeeping Services
Business Financing
Business Insurance
Business Valuators
Cash Advances
Check Cashing
Collection Agencies
Foreign Currency Exchange & Brokers
Income Tax Services
Personal Financial Services
Personal Financing
Personal Injury Lawyers
Personal Insurance
Personal Loans

Health and Beauty
Chiropractors
Cosmetic Surgery
Day spas
Dental
Dermatologists
Dieticians
Gyms
Hair salons
Massage Therapists
Nail salons
Personal Trainers
Tanning
Weight loss specialists

Insurance
Annuities
Car
Dental
Health
Independent Agents
Life

Legal
Administrative & Governmental Law Attorneys
Adoption Attorneys
Appeals Attorneys
Arbitration & Mediation Services Attorneys
Asbestos Diseases Attorneys
Bankruptcy
Business Formation
Divorce Lawyers
Estate Attorneys
Estate Planning
Lawyers
Personal Injury

Misc
Child care
Jewelry Appraisers
Karate
Pet groomers
Tattoo shops
Veterinarians

Professional Services
Accountants
Accountants/CPAs
Accounting & Tax Consultants
Accounting, Auditing, & Bookkeeping Services
Accounts Receivable Loans
Consultants
Financial Planners
HR Specialists

Real Estate
Foreclosure/Short Sale
Home Appraisers
Home Inspectors
Mortgage Brokers
Movers
Real Estate Investors
Realtors

Travel
Resorts
Small non chain hotels
Timeshares
Travel Agents

List curated from
KottonGrammar - local seo niches
CDF Networks - 83 Proven Local Lead Gen Niches

18 Comments

  1. Amweb Connecting Businesses On on August 26, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    Thanks for the Spreadsheet! I noticed you ommitted the food industry. Just thought I’d bring it to your attention 🙂

    • Alzay Calhoun on August 27, 2017 at 4:03 pm

      Good catch. There are certainly a number of opportunities in that niche. Find a place where you are comfortable and get to work!

  2. Auggie Diaz on October 23, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    Thanks so much for the list and video. Been looking for something like this for some time.

  3. Wesley Toehay on October 1, 2018 at 7:24 pm

    Thank you for this list. I just started looking for this kind of info, and you were one of the first results I found.

  4. Martin Loader on November 15, 2018 at 12:51 pm

    Thanks for the spreadsheet list Alzay. Certainly gives me something to work with. Much appreciated.

  5. Craig L. on July 1, 2019 at 3:37 pm

    Thanks for the info! Much appreciated.

  6. Devin on April 6, 2021 at 1:59 pm

    Great Information. Thanks!

  7. James Kuck on June 9, 2021 at 4:39 pm

    Selecting a NICHE is definitely something that paralyzes beginner local marketers. I see it s many time again and again. Great post and information. I agree selecting something that resonates and start plugging away!

  8. SENTHILKUMAR G on March 8, 2022 at 12:36 pm

    I am a programmer. Limited handson in online marketing. now only learning . my family owns an offline business .I was wondering how other businesses in my area are getting new clients . this post is an eye opener because when I search google I could not see websites from local businesses . only national brands or online directories . may be I can try to approach them after learning seo and rank website of our biz

  9. Robin Blanchard on March 28, 2022 at 2:22 pm

    Great list Alzay! Sometimes we get analysis paralysis instead of just getting out there and working with a local business. This is a fantastic list to focus on at a local level. Appreciate your content.

  10. raval on June 21, 2022 at 4:49 am

    Thank You for helping me select a niche for my academic project. Great information.

    • James on October 7, 2022 at 11:51 am

      You’re right about the temptation to serve every kind of business as a digital marketer which is a wrong path especially for start-ups. Thanks for reiterating this as I’m just starting out and I’ve been thinking of the best way to scale. You’ve just answered my questions. Thanks.

  11. Parishruth K on April 9, 2023 at 6:53 am

    Thank you for this spreadsheet. Made my task 10 times easier. very informative

  12. Abdussamad on May 15, 2023 at 8:22 pm

    Thanks Alzay. It’s something I hugely needed right now.

    The list is a great one.

  13. Al-ameen beekay CEO Weework Inc. on October 18, 2023 at 9:39 am

    I am Nigerian al_ameen Umar from kaduna with potential of starting a social media marketing agency. This is 2:37 pm Nigeria time, I have been researching since morning until I stumbled on this. It’s an eye opener for me. This is very educative and exposed. Thanks!

  14. Hidde on November 8, 2023 at 6:21 am

    How much should I ask per client, or does this depend on how big this company is?

  15. Peter Jimenez on February 14, 2024 at 6:20 pm

    This is a good comprehensive list of business niches. I will use this information to find leads to offer my SEO services in Miami, FL. Thanks!

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