If you’re tired of fishing in the same pond as everyone else, this guide is for you. Whether you’re a sales pro, a founder, or just the person on your team who actually finds the leads, you know how tough it is to break into niche industries—or even define what “niche” means for your business. Enter Vainu: a B2B data platform that promises to help you dig up real opportunities with filters and smart search. But let’s cut through the hype and talk about how to actually use those filters without getting buried in noise or pointless data.
Below, you’ll find a step-by-step breakdown for using Vainu filters to find new business opportunities in niche industries. I’ll flag what actually works, what’s just fluff, and how to focus your effort so you don’t waste hours chasing dead ends.
Step 1: Get Crystal Clear on Your Niche
Before you even touch a filter, you need to define your niche. “Tech companies” isn’t a niche. Neither is “healthcare.” You’ll get the same lists as everyone else. Instead, try to answer these questions:
- What problem do you solve, and for whom?
- What kind of companies have weird, specific needs that match your solution?
- Are there industry codes, keywords, or company traits that scream “this is our target”?
Pro tip: If you can’t describe your ideal customer in one sentence, take five minutes and write it down. This will save you two hours of clicking around later.
Step 2: Start With Broad Filters—Then Narrow Quickly
Open up Vainu and get comfortable with the basics. You’ll see filters for things like:
- Industry (usually by SIC, NACE, or NAICS codes)
- Company size (employees, revenue)
- Location
- Keywords in company description
Start broad, but don’t stay there for long. For niche industries, it’s better to start with a wide net (so you don’t miss anyone), then layer on filters fast to weed out the irrelevant stuff.
What works: - Using multiple industry codes, not just the obvious one. Some niche companies get miscategorized. - Combining keywords and industry codes for “off-the-beaten-path” results.
What to ignore: - Overdoing location filters unless geography is truly critical. You’ll shrink your list too soon.
Step 3: Use Keywords Like a Human, Not a Robot
Vainu’s keyword search isn’t magic. It’s only as smart as the words you feed it. Generic terms bring generic results. Get specific. Try:
- Product names unique to your niche
- Common pain points (“regulatory compliance,” “cold chain logistics,” etc.)
- Job titles or departments that only exist in your target industry
Pro tip: Check competitors’ websites or LinkedIn pages for phrasing they use. Plug those into your filters.
What works: - “Must include” and “must not include” filters to cut out unrelated industries with similar names.
What to ignore: - Assuming one keyword will do the trick. Stack a few for best results.
Step 4: Layer on Firmographic and Technographic Filters
Once you’ve got a decent list, it’s time to sharpen your focus. Firmographics (company size, age, growth trends) and technographics (what software or tech they use) are powerful when used together.
- Company size: Are you really a fit for a 5-person startup, or do you need at least 50 employees?
- Growth: Look for companies hiring or showing revenue bumps—signs they’ll actually buy.
- Tech stack: If your product pairs well with Shopify, filter for companies using it.
What works: - Combining several filters to get “this AND that,” not just “this OR that.” - Filtering out companies using competitors’ products, if Vainu tracks that.
What to ignore: - Vanity metrics (like number of social followers) unless you have a concrete reason to care.
Step 5: Use Triggers and Signals—But Don’t Overthink It
Vainu offers “triggers” (like funding rounds, new hires, or moving offices) and “signals” (like company news or website changes). These can help you catch companies at the right moment.
- If you sell HR software, filter for companies actively hiring.
- If you sell compliance solutions, look for companies hit with new regulations or fines.
What works: - Picking one or two signals that actually matter for your offer. - Setting up alerts so you act fast when something changes.
What to ignore: - Chasing every trigger. You’ll get overwhelmed, and most signals are just noise.
Step 6: Save, Test, and Iterate Your Filters
Don’t expect your first filter combo to be perfect. Save your filter sets in Vainu, then actually look at the companies it spits out.
- Are they really in your niche, or just tangentially related?
- Are there obvious time-wasters in the list? Tweak your filters.
- Getting too few results? Loosen one filter at a time.
Pro tip: Keep a spreadsheet of companies that look like a great fit. If you see patterns—like a certain phrase in their description—add that as a keyword in your next search.
Step 7: Vet Results Outside of Vainu
No data platform is perfect. Scrape the top prospects into a spreadsheet and spot-check them.
- Visit their websites. Are they really in your niche?
- Look up recent news. Are they growing, shrinking, or just changed focus?
- Find a human contact. No point in chasing ghosts.
What works: - Combining Vainu data with LinkedIn research and Google News for a reality check. - Sharing your prospect list with a teammate or industry insider to gut-check your picks.
What to ignore: - Blindly trusting any filter or AI “recommendation.” Garbage in, garbage out.
Step 8: Build a Simple Workflow—And Stick to It
Prospecting isn’t glamorous, but consistency wins. Set aside a regular time each week to update your filters and review new companies.
- Block an hour every Friday to check for new results.
- Keep notes on which filters actually led to meetings or deals.
- Drop what isn’t working—don’t be sentimental about your pet filters.
Pro tip: If a filter isn’t surfacing at least one promising lead a month, ditch it or tweak it.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Finding new business in niche industries is more grunt work than genius. The right Vainu filters can help, but only if you keep things simple, pay attention to what actually works, and don’t fall for shiny new features or “AI-powered” shortcuts. Start with clear definitions, get your hands dirty with filters, and adjust as you go. Don’t try to be perfect—just keep moving, and your niche pipeline will start to fill up.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember: the best filter is the one you’ll actually use. Start small, iterate, and let the data tell you what works. That’s how you find opportunities nobody else sees.