| If you spend much time on the Internet, you've heard all | | | | to suggest keywords and then you can find out what |
| about niches and niche marketing. The idea behind | | | | is there. If you're stumped or just want to see where |
| niche marketing is to narrow your focus so that you | | | | there is a lot of buzz, type in things like "how to" or |
| find a very specific, albeit limited, audience. If you want | | | | "secrets" or "tips" or "free" and you'll see things with |
| to write about sports, that isn't a niche. Tennis isn't a | | | | those words that were most searched for. |
| niche. But writing an information product about taking | | | | This is the part that can get confusing for writers. Most |
| up tennis after age 50 would be a great niche. Other | | | | writers think that a keyword search with few results |
| niches might be traveling to tennis resorts or how to | | | | means the keyword is hot, while a keyword that's |
| teach your elementary school child how to play great | | | | getting a lot of hits is a dead end. Wrong! When it |
| tennis. A niche provides in-depth information without | | | | comes to Internet marketing, it's the other way around. |
| much breadth. | | | | Lots of activity on a keyword means that there is |
| Many writers have the wrong idea about niches. As | | | | interest in the subject, a demand for information in that |
| writers, we tend to go for the scoop. We seek the | | | | niche, and possibly a "community" that's already built up |
| unusual story and the odd angle no one has ever used | | | | of folks interested in that particular topic. If you find a |
| before. We writers cross article ideas off the list as | | | | keyword with very little activity, you have more likely |
| soon as we see other people writing about them. | | | | found a subject that nobody cares about than some |
| After all, in the ink-on-paper world, the fastest way to | | | | great untapped opportunity. In other words, if nobody is |
| get a rejection is to propose an article on a subject | | | | searching for information about knitting hats for |
| that a competitive publication recently wrote about. If | | | | Chihuahuas, it's probably not a niche you want to |
| you're writing for a magazine or newspaper, a very | | | | invest in. |
| unusual, one-of-a-kind story can be an easy sale. | | | | The next step is to type in those keywords and |
| Internet marketing does not work like that. | | | | related keywords to see what comes up. Again, there |
| When you write for online sources, your work can be | | | | are many very advanced techniques to this kind of |
| deep, but it has to be narrow. The Internet has | | | | research, but writers can make do with the basics. |
| become the medium for specialists. It's the best place | | | | Just see what turns up. This is what the people |
| to get information on how to grow roses in the tropics | | | | searching those keywords will find. You may even |
| or make your own yogurt or learn about the | | | | want to see what kind of sites they are: are they |
| symptoms of Brugada's disease. | | | | selling physical products? Selling information? Offering |
| The risk in focusing so sharply on a specific subject is | | | | free content? How would your proposed product or |
| that it is much easier to miss the mark than to hit it. | | | | site fit in? Writers can get scared off when they find |
| A good writer is looking for readers and a good online | | | | their subject is already quite well covered. If you |
| writer is looking for customers. So online writers need | | | | venture into some well established niches, you'll find |
| to become marketers in terms of finding their niches. | | | | content-heavy sites, blogs, information products, |
| Most online marketers research niches to find traffic | | | | courses, and products for sale. But competition online is |
| before they embark on projects. The idea is that you | | | | a symptom that there is a lot of interest in the topic. |
| don't want to venture into a niche where there isn't | | | | Just as people don't necessarily own one pair of jeans |
| already at least some conversation and activity going | | | | or eat in only one restaurant, competition can be |
| on. | | | | welcome. |
| That's right, online marketers want to find competition in | | | | There is another huge benefit to writing in a busy niche: |
| their niches of choice, because competition means | | | | you may be able to tap into pre-existing traffic. If there |
| there is already interest, buzz, and business in that | | | | is a rabid group of people eager to talk about setting |
| sector. | | | | up an at-home design business, your information |
| In other words, many niches that are possible are not | | | | product on tax guidelines for the at-home |
| viable. In a sense, Internet writers need to think like | | | | artist-entrepreneur has a ready-made customer base. |
| ink-and-paper publishers. A publisher would hesitate to | | | | How do you find your niche? Some niches find you, in |
| publish a book on the best shoes to wear on an | | | | that you may know all about a certain unusual subject |
| airplane simply because it seems unlikely that anyone | | | | or you may have a personal passion. An Internet |
| would buy it. An Internet writer has to think about | | | | marketer would also try to discover "hidden" niches or |
| niches the same way. Is there an audience for the | | | | secret niches by trying to find busy keywords that |
| material? | | | | were being serviced by some (but not many) matching |
| Finding the answer to that is easier online than in the | | | | information sites. If you can find where the demand is |
| brick-and-mortar world. One way that Internet markets | | | | not being entirely met ... you have a winner! |
| try to assess interest in a niche is by researching | | | | Once you identify the niche, you next have to identify |
| keywords. Keywords are the words or phrases that | | | | how you care to participate and how you want to |
| you type into search engines when you're looking for | | | | monetize your activities. As an online writer, you can |
| something. | | | | develop a content-rich site on the topic to sell |
| There are lots of ways to perform keyword research; | | | | advertising or an information product that can be sold |
| some of them can be done for free. By visiting the | | | | with a sales page type website. Information products |
| inventory at ( you can find out how many searches on | | | | include books, electronic books, special reports, |
| Yahoo took place in a recent month (which may be | | | | courses, CDs and other media. |
| six months ago) for any keywords you type in. Yahoo | | | | No business is immune to risk and online writing is no |
| is not the Internet universe, but most authorities feel | | | | exception. There's probably more risk in Internet |
| that Yahoo results can be extended to the other | | | | business because it's fast-paced and everyone is new |
| major search engines. In other words, if lots of people | | | | at it. To be fair, many Internet ventures can be |
| searched Yahoo for "hula lessons," it is quite likely that | | | | launched with minimal financial investment, especially |
| many people also searched Google and other search | | | | compared to brick-and-mortar businesses. |
| engines for the same topic. | | | | But there is still a risk. You're going to be spending a lot |
| There are more sophisticated ways to do keyword | | | | of time and energy creating a product that may or |
| research; it's practically a science. However, for most | | | | may not sell. That's why you need to pick the right |
| online newbies, using a simple, straightforward | | | | niches. Go to niches where there is already a lot of |
| keyword search will likely provide more than enough | | | | energy and activity; you're more likely to find |
| information to get your project off to a good start. | | | | customers where there is also some healthy |
| The problem with keyword searches is that you have | | | | competition. |