Niche teaching is the future for all independent teachers.

What is niche teaching?

Niche teaching focuses on solving your niche’s problems.

In niche teaching, you work with a particular group of students that have the same problems, and you deliver solutions to help students solve these problems.

A lot of teachers might be confused on this point about niches.

Niches are defined by the problems students have, not English proficiency level, demographics, or geographic location.

This means that, for example, “English beginners” is not a niche, “children aged 3-6 years” is not a niche, and “Chinese business professionals” is not a niche.

Instead, well-defined niches should focus on the problems.

This means that “English beginners who would like to speak more fluently” is a good niche, “children aged 3-6 who would like to read in English” is a good niche, and “Chinese business professionals who would like to expand their business to English-speaking countries” is a good niche.

As you can see, niche teaching focuses on the problems you can solve and the solutions you can provide to your students.

What are the benefits of doing niche teaching?

Niche teaching enables targeted and cost-effective online marketing.

Because of niche teaching’s focus on the problems your students have, your marketing can be truly targeted and therefore cost-effective.

The truth is, if you don’t have a niche, your marketing message is broad: “I teach English.”

When it comes to online marketing, this approach is like standing outside a train station, facing the crowd of people emerging, and yelling out, “Hey everyone, can I get your attention?!” But no one knows who you’re talking to, and they probably won’t even look at you.

With a niche, you’re able to call them out by their names and their problems. Instead of trying to talk to everyone, you call out, “Hey James, I can help you with that problem!”

You see, this is how effective your message can be with a niche and how you can get people to listen and learn about your business without spending tons of money doing marketing.

Niche teaching can allow teachers to charge a higher rate.

Your students aren’t learning English just because they feel like it. Students learn English for a reason.

They learn English because they have problems when it comes to English. Maybe they want to speak with foreigners, have to pass exams and study in English-speaking countries, want to get a better job, or even just want to travel by themselves. They all have problems to solve!

And for these students to get from where they are now to where they want to be, they have to solve their problems.

Working with general teachers takes 2 steps to solve their problems.

Since general teachers focus on English, students have to learn English from the teacher first and then implement the learnings to solve their problems by themselves. What’s even worse is that students usually fail in implementing and are unable to solve their problems.

On the contrary, working with a niche teacher only takes 1 step because a niche teacher focuses on problems. Niche teachers teach and implement with students. The process only takes 1 step, and most importantly, your students succeed in implementing.

As a result, general teachers get paid less than half, and niche teachers get paid more. This is why niche teachers can charge a higher rate.

So, is niche teaching for you, and are you ready to get started?

Our 21-Day Teacher-Entrepreneur Challenge helps teachers transition from general teaching to niche and from session-based teaching to program-based teaching.

If you are interested,

• Join the 21-Day Challenge here
• Review frequently asked questions here
• Review testimonials from hundreds of Challenge graduates here

Download your free ebook if you haven’t: How to Get Your OWN Students Online and Charge What You’re Worth?

When you teach English, are you teaching a language or a skill?

First of all, what is a language, and what is a skill?

To me:

Language is a tool, one of many tools people need to solve their problems and achieve their goals.

A skill is a holistic sort of knowledge that people need to solve problems and achieve their goals.

Let’s say there is a mechanic who needs to fix a car.

When you teach a language, you teach the mechanic how to use a tool, one of many tools the mechanic needs to fix the car.

It could be a wrench, a screwdriver.

When you teach a skill, you teach the mechanic the holistic knowledge they need to fix the car.

It’s not only about how to use each tool, but also the steps the mechanic follows to diagnose, fix, and evaluate progress.

So when you teach English, are you teaching a language or a skill?

When you are a general teacher, you teach a language because you only teach students how to use English as they try to solve their problems and achieve their goals on their own.

When you are a niche teacher, you’re teaching a skill. You teach students how to solve their problems when it comes to English.

For instance:

If you are a niche teacher helping students with their English communication, you teach students how to conduct meetings in English, make small talk in English, and socialize with clients and colleagues in English so that they can succeed in their careers with better English communication skills.

If you are a niche teacher helping students with their presentations in English, you teach students how to create and deliver engaging presentations so that they feel comfortable and confident in every future presentation they give, with better English presentation skills.

So now that you understand this distinction, how will it help you and your business?

First, when you teach skills, the market rewards you with higher returns because of the bigger impact you make on students’ lives.

When you are a general teacher, you help students learn a language and earn what a language is worth.

When you are a niche teacher, you help students develop a skill and earn what a skill is worth.

Second, you can highlight your skills-based approach in your marketing and sales to help you build trust and differentiate yourself.

You can even write articles and record videos talking about it so students know that you aren’t just another ESL teacher teaching a language.

Last but not least, you’ll know how to position yourself and why you are worth more, so you are confident in charging a higher rate.

What do you think?

Let me know in the comment.

Join the Teacher-Entrepreneur Challenge and get your OWN students at more than $100 an hour in just 21 days.

Download your free ebook if you haven’t: How to Get Your OWN Students Online and Charge What You’re Worth?

I have been promoting niche teaching, but I only recently started looking at it from a different angle: niche learning.

Niche teaching is new to teachers.

Niche learning is new to students too.

I remember the days when I studied with my ESL teachers not long ago. My teachers were all general teachers.

In their intro videos, they always tried to mention a wide range of student profiles, hoping any student watching their intro videos could relate.

They were right.

I was looking for teachers who taught students like me before and covered the subjects I’d like to work on.

This actually demonstrates the importance of relevance and specialty to students.

Students like to work with teachers experienced in teaching students just like them, on the subjects they’re trying to improve, a.k.a, niche teachers.

Unfortunately, niche teaching didn’t exist until recently when teachers can thrive in a much smaller market by leveraging online marketing.

Teachers who have transitioned to niche teaching often tell me how their students are curious about the fact they only help a specific group of students—and how their students love this idea.

Niche teaching and niche learning give teachers and students the focus to generate better results. 

Not to mention: It is so much easier to build trust with your students and differentiate yourself from other teachers when you are a niche teacher.

Would you rather talk to a general practitioner about your skin problem, or a dermatologist?

Niche teaching and niche learning are revolutionary.

You should take advantage of the new era and start your niche business now to stay ahead of your competition.

Join the Teacher-Entrepreneur Challenge and get your OWN students at more than $100 an hour in just 21 days.