How To Find Your Next Vertical Market

I got this question from an agency owner today:

"How did you choose the next vertical market after attorneys at your last agency?"

For context, we were experts in attorney marketing.

So, we asked ourselves: "What other verticals have the same problem as attorneys?"

Home Services quickly rose to the top of the list.

• They are local service businesses, just like attorneys

• They get leads and jobs from the internet, just like attorneys

• They have high search volumes and large budgets, just like attorneys

• They need pretty much everything attorneys do when it comes to marketing

• Plus, we had a few home services clients who were very happy and getting great results

And that's what led us to choose Home Services as our new vertical.

So, here's my advice to agency owners thinking of expanding into a new vertical market...

Start by asking: "Which adjacent vertical market has the same problem that we're already experts in solving?"

CQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What question guided the decision to expand from attorneys into a new vertical?

"What other verticals have the same problem as attorneys?" That single question shaped the entire search for the next vertical, rather than starting from scratch with an unrelated analysis.

Why did home services rise to the top as the next vertical?

Because it shared the same core characteristics: local service businesses, leads and jobs coming from the internet, high search volume, large budgets, and marketing needs nearly identical to attorneys.

Did existing client experience play a role in choosing home services?

Yes, having a few happy home services clients already getting great results reinforced the decision, giving real evidence the expertise already built for attorneys would transfer effectively.

Why does expanding into an adjacent vertical with the same underlying problem make sense strategically?

Because it allows the same proven expertise and playbook to transfer directly, rather than starting over with a completely different set of problems that would require rebuilding specialized knowledge from scratch.

What's the actual advice for agency owners considering expansion into a new vertical?

Start by asking which adjacent vertical market shares the same problem already being solved expertly. That question narrows the search toward verticals where existing expertise can transfer most effectively.