(3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)
Loading ...My Definition of a “Niche”
Posted by: Socrates Socratous on: Dec 4th, 2006 (3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)
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The current niche model that every other marketer
is teaching has major issues in my opinion. It
is more of a method to create disjoint mini businesses
(I am taking a risk by calling them businesses) that
could potentially generate revenue individually.
Let me explain this…
Based on the above “poor” model, you search for a niche
that has some decent search activity every month.
Let’s say you figured out that there is demand in the
“How to increase your BMW 323 Horsepower by 20%” niche 
so you go ahead and you setup your minisite around
this topic. You create an ebook to address to this
problem and you are all set. You write a killer sales
letter, drive traffic to the site using SEO, adwords,
link exchange etc…
If you are smart you are also building a list around
your topic.
Let’s assume this site was a success and you start to
generate $2,000 per month. great.
Now you are all done with this site, it runs on “autopilot”
(or so you think) so you move on to increase your
bottom line by repeating the process.
So, you do your research again, and you decided to create
a new site on the topic:
“How to groom your Golden Retriever” (that’s a dog
breed if you never heard of it
Repeat all of the above and assuming that was a success
you now make $4K a month. Cool huh?
Yeah! Cool but also dangerous…
So now you have 2 totally unrelated products (not
businesses I repeat) and you also have some kind of
mailing list to keep in touch.
However, the time you start your new project, you
immediately start losing focus of your other site. Your list
will slowly become unresponsive because you are too busy
to email them regularly.
In other words, your previous sites, will hit their peak
and start dying a slow death.
But you don’t see that because you are now working on
your unrelated project and you are too excited about it too.
Eventually you end up with a bunch of unrelated sites, you
struggle to maintain all of them, some die, some are
still active but not to your satisfaction.
With this model, you will need to keep coming up
with new ideas, build new projects all the time
in order to stay alive (Some will succeed, most will not).
Congratulations! you found your self a JOB!
The above example is based on the assumption that you
will be somewhat successful
Here is how I visualize the concept of a “Niche Market”
A niche market is not any other than a small segment of a larger
group of people (market) that are highly interested in a particular
topic, for a specific reason.
A Niche is found based on market research to determine
How to *Market* to that specific group.
Your Business is Not a niche. A niche is to help you
market your product efficiently and effectively.
Your business can be broken down to many Niches but
Many Niches doesn’t mean that they constitute one business.
I know this may be somewhat confusing so let me
explain this with examples…
In our example from above:
“How to increase your BMW 323 Horsepower by 20%” could be a niche.
But a niche of What type of business?
Think about it for a minute…
Think bigger…
It could be a sub niche of an “Automotive Performance” niche
which is a niche of an “Automotive Business”
However, in our example you decided to move away from this
*business* before you even started to scratch the surface
of the potential you had in growing that little niche
to become a real giant.
The problem started when you set your mindset to believe
that you are in the:
“How to increase your BMW 323 Horsepower by 20%” biz.
So you believed that you cultivated that business and it
is time to move on.
My Way of looking into this could have been:
“I am in the Automotive Business” and now I market
a product on “increasing horsepower” to a specific niche.
Instead of moving to the “Pet industry” with my dog product
I could have created another product about
“How to increase your Mustang GT’s Horsepower by 20%”
and I could go on creating Horsepower products about
other type of cars. I could then move onto trucks…
Meanwhile I have been building a huge list of car performance
fanatics, ready to buy my products every time.
I would use my existing list to jumpstart my new product
sales because it’s a related market.
Then I could have created
a product about “How to add a turbo-charger to any car”
and all my list (BMW, Mustang, truck etc) would be interested
in. So I start my new project knowing that I will start making
sales immediately with very small effort.
I am now building a real business and I am using the Niche
concept to market to the crowds adding people to my
marketing funnel. The growth is exponential. (not linear
like in the poor model)
Take a look at Dell.
Dell is in the Computer Business. Michael Dell started out
by building computers from parts and selling them directly
to the consumer by eliminating the middle man.
Dell has since grown to offer servers, laptops, PDA’s etc.
However, they market their products to different niches of
the computer industry. They even have different specialists
in every single one of their niches marketing the same
products to them in a way that appeals to that specific niche.
A Small business owner is approached and marketed to in
a different way than a larger corporation and in a different
way than a student. Note: These are the same computers
they sell…
Bottom line…
A Niche is not a business. It’s a smaller segment of your
market where you use it’s specific characteristics to
market to it more efficiently and effectivly by specializing.
Also, a niche is not something you get in and out of every
other month.
Build a REAL Business.
Till Next time,
Partner to Your Success,
-Socrates Socratous
(3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5) Loading ...
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Hi Socrates,
This the first time I have read about niches and had it explained in this manner. It make sense to look at it this way. My only question is what happens if you have two niches products/sites you been working on that are not quite the same? How does one marry the two together so it turns out not to be a total lost?
Kim
Overallbeauty.com
Gardeningwithroses.com
Hello Socrates, I have your RSS Feed in my top line of my Google Homepage. Your Blog runs over with your expertise and is totally complemented by your subject matter and presentation. Your friend in Missouri, Larry Vennard.
Hello Socrates,
WOW! Some good ol’ commonsense at last. I’ve been put off by the amount of work involved in finding a niche, developing it, starting a new niche, developing that and so on that I’ve steered away from it all until I found somethin I really wanted to do. Sites about dog breeding, tropical fish, recipes etc have never done it for me!
Your blog entry only served to prove how right my way of thinking has been and I’m glad I didn’t waste my time. That’s always nice to know!
Cheers.
Gareth
London, UK
Hi Socrates,
I have just read your article ‘niche’. It really surprised me. I was expecting more of the same that I am always finding on the internet.
I am just beginning to gather all the information I can find to create my own internet web site. I must say, there is so much information out there, that after a while it all sounds so confusing.
After reading your article, it has explained so much to me and given me a clearer direction to actually head in. At last the penny has dropped!
Thank you from Carol Harvey in Australia.
Hello Socrates,
Great information. You’re spot on
creating a business means you should really be targetting one niche within a larger niche.
I havn’t heard anyone else saying this = Great information on building a real business rather than moving from one niche to another without leaving “money on the table ” as it were.
This way one also becomes a known “expert” as you start to build the “empire”
Brilliant stuff.
Ps Socrates - Obviously you are an expert in these fields. Can you tell me or guide me - If I have a product in a niche and I have at present which I will me marketing soon- I am wanting to create un upsell to my list at a later date. Where do you think is the best place for such resources- I mean would it be better to outsource the product creation with a larger ticket product ?
Thanks again
Hamant
All I can say about this post is this.
You nailed it Socrates….I just wish more
folks would get the idea of what Niche Marketing
is all about.
Thanks Socrates
Hey Socrates
A very sensible and balanced comment. For myself, I’ve been bouncing around for a couple of months trying to find a “niche” that could develop into a business.
I can see how people new to this kind of marketing can loose their shorts trying to make a dollar.
I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Regards
Stephen
Hi Socrates,
It’s difficult to really sum the topic up without completely agreeing with you.
The problem with many online marketers for as long as I can remember is that they appear to be more concerned with generating an income than building an empire.
Mining sub-niche markets within its root market is an all inclusive method to eventually create a huge systematic ‘business’.
All that I think is very important though is the supporting systems for each sub-niche that you include into the higher model.
This is where effective employees or outsourcing come in. At this level of business it is ridiculous to think that you can be everything to every customer.
However in order for your business to create fierce loyalty, customer service and experience when handled properly will yield much more lifetime value.
So I restate my agreement with your viewpoint as well as reinforcing the fact that online or not–you are building a business not trying to generate an income or J.O.B.
Breaking free is the whole point of self employment besides the satisfaction of serving customers well.
Continued Success,
Jason Hodgins
You were sure right in your email title, I had it way wrong. Did not even think about it that way. I was thinking just the way you described it. Thankyou for saying what makes complete sense. This has given me new focus and direction.
Socrates,
Yes, absolutely and you’re the first person I’ve heard mention this so clearly.
This is why people, if they’re serious about becoming successful, ought to build a business around something they are truly interested in and knowledgeable/passionate about, not just some idea they plucked out of the sky (or off the internet) to try to make some money. It might make a few sales in the short term, but a successful life isn’t lived in the short term.
Keep doing what you do.
Rachael
You are absolutely right Socrates
But in all fairness to the people looking for a business to get into, marketers have pushed niche marketing to make it look like its own business.
This makes it very confusing for the beginner web business owner.
Just look at all the AdSense templates that are out there in packages. I know because I have bought them. I looked for niche templates that would apply to my web sites http://www.songstercharms.com and http://www.beautyinglass.com. A niche site for our charms would be cell phone charms or charms about dogs, etc. There are lots of templates in the package that I probably won’t use.
The confusion around niche products is a good reason why people need a business plan.
Thanks for clarifying this issue - our members at http://www.TheMarketingEducator.com will be happy you did as well.
Dear Socrates,
I have been studying the internet, sales, and marketing for about 5 years now and used bits and pieces of what I’ve learned.
The time is coming when I’ll be putting it all together, but I’d like to say, this may be the key to it all! I’ve heard of niche marketing before, but never quite so succinctly, in easy to understand, straight forward form.
Thanks for the useful information and keep it coming.
Sincerely,
Rosalind Lund
Good Evening Socrates,
Your information is enlighting.
Letting it all sink in now.
Boy we sure do have a lot to learn.
Thanks for being here and your great info.
God Bless,
PeggyLynn
Hey Socrates;
Berore I start strokin’ your ego by sayin’, well put, great job and “atta boy” let me first say this is the first article I have read “all” of in days. I have gotten to the point of just scrolling through looking for key words.
I hope you have some more advice and maybe a good lead to help a beginner out. Because so far over half my emails are people pushing the same old ad lines.If Iam tired of hearing the same old stuff,don’t you think the public is too.
Ya’ got my attention,now what ya’ gonna do with it? !!
Mike
Texas
Socrates,
I have read many posts and ebooks on this subject, as well as attending seminars and teleseminars. I learned something more valuable in your post today than just about everything else put together.
Thank you for your valuable insight.
Dear Socrates:
Thinking outside the box makes sense now. Everyone talks niche; YOU talk niche PLUS. Thanks for the challenge to go beyond!
Thank you for your very useful piece. It clarified my thinking and I feel it will help me make much better choices for niche marketing.
Socrates,
Bill Bianch here, I was just ready to sit down to dinner when I took a quick glance at my E-Mail and found your request to read your Blog posting.
Dinner is getting cold but I am sure glad I read your thoughts on: Your Definition of a “Niche”
I have been jumping through everybodies hoop but my own for two years now. Every deal sounded better than the previous one and I’ve been following them all and not being successful at any.
You really know how to turn the light bulb on!
Thanks
Bill
Very nice summary of the difference between a strategy and tactics, Socrates.
Most of the stuff out recently concentrates upon tactics that will generate an income. There’s damned little of information on long term business strategy. Oh, there’s a lot of lip service paid to it, but no real discussion of ways and means to achieve it. Too much involvement with instant gratification and too little thought given to sustainable commerce, I think. (The keyword arena is a prime example.)
It’ll be interesting to see where you take this.
Make a good day …
… barn
Socrates,
Well done. I am glad to see somone else saying the same thing. The biggest problem you have with what the ‘Goo-Goos’ are saying is to jump in head first, without some proper planning. The way you are talknig about does require some research, but it should be for your ‘target market’.
Like you said, once you define your niche *business* model, then you can go deeper and deeper into the sub-niches. But you have to be able to tie them all together for cross promotions and upsells.
A good example of this, is Amazon. While I may be looking for a specific book in a category, they always manage to have other books related to that category that will probaly spark your interest to buy. Like you showed above, I am not going to be interested in a dog book, if I am looking for one about cars. You would think that would make for common sense.
Of course, we are talking about the ‘Goo-Goos’.
Well done mine friend, excellent article.
John Burnette
Dear Socrates:
I have been receiving emails from you for the last week or so since signing for your newsletters, but, as i have been extremely busy i have been putting them in a folder to read at a later date (maybe). It is only by chance that i read this one today and “WOW” it hit me like a brick. Simple plain english that packed a punch, i will get back to you once i have read all the other mail as i think my eyes have been opened to a new era in business opportunities. Thanks, regards Kelly
Hey,
I’m happy to see somebody writing an article about this topic without trying to sell some sort of niche template product or yet another “Way to Cash in Online with Niches” product.
I’ve thought about what you’ve written before but keep getting sidetracked by “So-Called” Internet Gurus that say you need 10-100 different niche sites to make money.
I’m slowly building my own niche empire in the Fitness Industry. It’s kind of funny that this article shows up a couple weeks after I decided to change my strategy to one niche market instead of several.
I’m looking forward to reading more articles from you in the future.
Thank you so much,
Dale
Hello Mr Niche!
I must say I think this is one of the most enlightening documentaries I have come across in quite a while!
It’s nice to read an artical that provides meaningful insight into terms that far too often seem to be short on explanation like:
“find a need and fill it”, “find a problem and solve it”, “stay focused” on what you’re doing and keep on getting better and better and better…
(Bunny graphic goes here)
Gravytrains
I’d love to know even more about niche markets. It’s something I’ve been considering for a long time and have just written an ebook that I will be selling soon (using your excellent program, My Digital Dispatch, of course)!
Thanks for the insight on niche markets. I thought I knew it all, but can honestly say I learned something new - pick a niche market and stay in that related category instead of picking another totally unrelated niche market to sell something else in. Great idea - makes sense.
Very true, does a bunch of lil niches add up to a full “niche” I guess is the question? Hmmm.
A true “niche” I believe lasts much longer than a “hit n niche”.
If you truly have a “niche” product, the high demand thang can be kept alive for at least 3+? years. Sell it on tv, sell to store buyers to saturate the market takes some time.
If your lucky enough to become wealthy from a “niche” product, you wont feel the “itch” to find another “niche”.
Thanks for blogging our minds continually,
Hollywood Ca. Glenda Neal
Hello Mr Niche!
I must say I think this is one of the most enlightening documentaries I have come across in quite a while!
It’s nice to read an artical that provides meaningful insight into terms that far too often seem to be short on explanation like:
“find a need and fill it”, “find a problem and solve it”, “stay focused” on what you’re doing and keep on getting better and better and better…
(Bunny graphic goes here)
Gravytrains
http://tinyurl.com/yjdrny
You have nailed it right on the head. I know that is not very original, but like your definition of what a niche really is its hard to improve upon what you have written.
I have just made my first purchase from you 2hours before you emailed me and the content line on your e mail really put the s***s up me but when I got over the shock and opened up your BLOG i found that you have a knack about the way you translate simple facts. It’s no wonder your products pick up top feedback. You are calling it NICHE marketing but in the long term just like any good E-BOOK it’s made up from good chapters.Looking forward to a long and fruitfull relationship. THANK YOU.
Hello Funnel!
It’s amazing what an offer for a prize can do.
I usually don’t bother with visiting blogs, but this time, I’m sure glad I did!
There’s nothing really new for info in this blog, but to see it all put together in such a revealing format is like a breath of fresh air in a stuffy art gallery!(Marketing World)
An artical this good should be read and re-read until it finally sinks in!
Not only can you find and work a niche properly with this knowledge, but look carefully and you may see the “funnel effect” here.
The foot bone is connected to the leg bone and the leg bone is connected the the hip bone and… before you know it, you’ve created a masterpiece!
Dan
Hi Socrates,
Niche Markets is the ‘Flavour of the Years to come’
your information is timely and serves as fair warning to those uninitiated in the intricacies of Niche marketing. There are may gems of information to be picked up here. Good one, keep it up & Cheers! Best regards
Mohan George
Hi,
Funny when I got your email, I was like Huh? Then I read it thru, and a second time and liked the idea. I am still fairly new to websites,marketing,blogs heck even my space (nani1987). But you make alot of sense and wish I could be as informative on my ventures. I am glad to of read your insight of marketing. It is very helpful to me. And That I thank you.
Nani
Hi Socrates,
I could not agree with you more. I got feed up with all the schems for niche marketing about six months ago and decided to concentrate on my one site. People are wanting good information not something that you can get just about anywhere. Since I started to concentrate on my main niche I have increase my sign ups by up to 98%. I am getting twice as many visitors and I feel much happier. It will take a little longer to bring in some of the figures that others say you can get will lots of mini-sites(niches) which I am still to be convinced is the case for most people. But I will have a stronger and longer lasting BUSINESS not just some fly-by night operation that is here today and gone tomorrow.
I beleive that most people starting out on the internet intend for their business to be an ongoing concern for a long time, but there is so much information out there it is hard for most to pick the wheat from the chaff. It took me about 18months to get rid of all the rubbish that was holding me back. I wish there was someway to let people really know the information that they need is out there and what really works.
Information blogs like yours go a long way to helping people it has helped me but you have to find it first and some are drawn to making a quick dollar.
Please Keep up the good work, people will eventually find you and your information and they can the get on with the business of making a BUSINESS.
Thank you for all your help and advice.
Love and Light
Hello Socrates
You nailed it. Once you find your niche stick to it and you will become the go to expert and your credibility will shoot through the roof and you will be rich. Credibility is Everything.
Allan
Thanks for the great article Socrates, I look forward to reading further posts by you in the future. Excellent stuff.
- Erik
Well, well - someone finally said it out loud - “The king has no clothes.” THANK YOU!
I began automatically deleting all the “niche marketing” crap in my e-mail box weeks ago, not long after I started getting it.
For one thing, most of these niche packages are sold with “PLR articles” which are rehashes of other articles, often with the “keywords” changed til they make the article a comedy of errors and totally unintelligible.
PLUS, Google will now send you to the woodshed for that tactic.
You CAN combine different “niches” under one roof (cheaper than all that extra hosting and domain cost) with a wellbuilt e-book store that offers ever-changinng information (audio/video/newsfeeds, etc.) PLUS your own marketing in the APPROPRIATE section.
Most online info products are aimed at people who want to make money with web sites, mailing lists, butterfly marketing, black tactics, etc., etc. Same ol’ crap w/different names.
Where’s the PUBLIC in this. Most people who go to the Net looking for information are NOT marketers. THEY are your real market.
ALSO, Target for example, has lots of things under one roof (like WalMart) but it still serves a “niche” market - defined by economic profile - a different profile than Saks Fifth Avenue, for example.
Folks, we still need to use a real-world business model, fine-tuned for the Net. In my case, my GOAL is to provide an income that lets me work from home to take care of my wife (rheumatoid arthritis, two strokes and perhaps Alzheimer’s) because I REFUSE to put her in a nursing home. When I can find some help in getting the membership/shopping cart scripts to work right, I’ll be able to achieve that goal.
Sure, I sell products (ebooks and software) from others (in the appropriate section), but I also add to it my own exclusive e-book products not available anywhere else.
That, at least, is my business model.
Again, thanks for telling it like it is. I’ve spoken with you in person (your conference call setup) and find you down-to-earth and very accessible and humble and modest. Keep up the good work!!
Hi,
I am very new at this and I am in the process of doing my first website. I am in a mentoring programme which is very good. I have received (and looked at) many different ideas on the internet until I am totally confused. The best thing to do is go back to basics which is what I am being taught. And that is exactly what you have reported about niches. This was one of the best reports I have read on the internet without trying to sell something.
CONGRATULATIONS.
Kay Stevens
Thanks for the article. i’ve just started the ebook selling business and quickly relized that buying ebooks and selling is very competetive. A real niche is what I need. At least I’m now thinking on the right line, but now have a lot of work to do to succeed.
I keep hearing the advice of getting one niche and found it limiting. Also, I’m interested in different, but related, services and ideas.
It is super refreshing to hear your description of related niches and I absolutely love that idea! It makes perfect business sense, and perfect sense for me!
With big thanks,
Merna
Socrates.
Your article on niche markets makes total since to me. Of course you would want to stick with related niches to optimize a list of potential customers.
Socrates,
It’s 3:30 am, I’m finishing a writing deadline and thought I’d check my email. Since I spent the past weekend moving my office and haven’t been online for 3 days, I’m afraid of what’s lurking in email.
I print out a few orders and the first (and probably only) non-order email I choose to open is yours.
I love MYDD and I can usually read your newsletters knowing I haven’t wasted a moment of my time.
Again, you didn’t let me down. Your blog entry is right on target. I’ve already marked it for recommendation to newbies.
Keep up the good work!
PJ
Hi Socrates
Thank you for all the “straight-up” information rather than all the “fluff” we get from many other’s.
I always thought that your definition of a niche was actually the correct definition, building a business down through related subjects rather than just throwing random products at people. Isn’t this the only way that this “so-called” new thing, the long tail works, driving down through and into your niche to reach as many potential clients as possible? (by the way, am I the only one that can remember this “long-tail” theory from a number of years ago, maybe under a different name but the same basic marketing principle).
As I said, I thought your definition was the correct one before many so-called “guru’s” started confusing the matter with their “quick-buck” thinking, so thank you for reminding us all that we should be building a lasting, sustainable business by using our own common sense.
Best Regards and Thanks.
Nick in the UK
Socrates,
Spot on comments. Concentrating on a profitable area and diversify within, seems the way to go.
All those scattergun attempts by marketers to sell you a mass of unrelated sites and articles every month wont work primarily for the resons you suggest: there’s no interrelation, cross selling wont work, and you cant develop expertise in a hundred different fields.
Specialisation seems the way forward.
I think the best lesson to be learned is to stick to one idea and make it happen. I’ve been making the mistake of doing too many different things, too many ideas at the same time.
I’ve seen someone sell ONE ebook on ebay for hundreds of pounds, and then see another sell 100’s for a penny and loose money on it. Its the same for any item or business
One of the greatest pitfalls of this business is to think that just because everyone else sells it cheaper than its worth does not mean that it won’t sell at higher prices.
First, get your keywords right - sell them the dream of what they want in those keywords. Don’t overlook a title. Everyone in this business has seen those overhyped sales letters, but those who haven’t usually fall for them, sell them the dream.
Greed fuels people, if they can afford it they probably have too much money and you need to take it off their hands its difficult to not feel guilty - but remember that gamblers squander 1000’s and gain nothing back most of the time.
As long as your product does what it says on the tin then its there, its up to them to do the next step of actually following out the instructions.
Kali spera Socrates,
You are so right, But….
Frank Kern and Ed Dale made it using Underachievers! However, that is always leaving money on the table, unless … you then go and do what they did … sell the site.
I guess much of it comes down to what you, as the individual, trying to or making money on the net feels most comfortable doing.
The late Ken Giddens also used this single product per site format as well as the linking of other products. His main aim was to get a site producing, consistently, $10 per day and then go set up another site. I believe he ended up with well over 80 sites promoting just one product from coathangers (Yes! I couldn’t beleive someone could make money out of selling coathangers on the net!) to, as he called them, “bits of rope” - you do the math on just these sites!
Yassou
Chris Harris
Kent, UK
http://www.infohow2.com
P.S.
For Socrates
http://Socrates.youaremighty.com
For everyone else
http://www.youaremighty.com
Have fun!
Socrates;
You couldn’t be more right most people try to do to maney things at once. In order to dothings right kyou have to take one thing at a time. It may seem slodw but jut it is the only way to do things. A very inlightling blog it teaches all of us what we need to do. Have learned a lot from this thanks.
Socrates,
Thanks for your comments and insights on niche marketing. One of the struggles I’ve had in getting “started” in online business is that so much information focuses on niches that hardly anyone - in fact you’re the first one I can think of at this moment - speaks about the “business concept” first and focusing on a niche within that business.
I’ve noticed over time that you seem to be quite “focused” with your business model. You don’t seem to stray too far from what you’re passionate about. That being said, what do you do to keep yourself focused on your business and your “niche” so that you’re not drawn away to other “lucrative” niches which don’t fit your business model? Getting started and staying focused on one’s “business,” given the massive onslaught of information that enters my email accounts each day, is, perhaps, the greatest challenge I face as someone who wants to earn some extra money on the internet but is overwhelmed with too much information. How have you handled this successfully?
Thanks again for your insights and willingness to share your thoughts.
God bless your day and your service to others.
Sincerely,
Rev. Richard Boeck
Socrates,
Your comments are completely on target ….. I personally focus on only one type of business (something near and dear to my heart) …. I never considered spreading my wings into other ‘niches’ due to the lack of time.
Have a great day,
Narcissa
(www.resource4preschool.com)
Dear Socrates, You have explained to people how they can take the niche they have and expand outwards from that thus having a bigger business which is what it is all about. Here is one for you. My niche ,my product sells on ebay. I recently worked with a consultant and found out I should be selling in the mature section of ebay. I had no idea it existed. Basically its the porn section of ebay. I don’t considered my product porn but I’m told sales will increase if I sell there. Now thats a problem I never expected to run into. I’m into sensuality and now I find to grow the business I need to list in the ebay porn section and its real porn there. How would you handle that NICHE problem?
I am glad I subscribed to your list. Your take on this may have uncluttered the minds of many fed with “lies” about the niche market, strained their pockets and make nothing in return.
Niche is like a good book with it’s relevant chapters, making it a satisfying read.
Niche is just like us on a mission, with our arms, legs, eyes and the rest; seemingly different but all working towards a common goal.
Your blog will certainly be in my blogroll
Hi Socrates-
Thanks for this great, eye-opening post.
I am just starting out in the internet biz world and have heard so much about niche-marketing already. I agree with you that it does seem that there is a big focus on “just get the (niche) site up” rather than building a business.
It’s very easy to get short sighted when you are bombarded with “get rich the easy way - invest in niche sites” messages you see from every other “guru” you run across. I thank you for your insight and I am going to use it as a stop and focus moment in my research.
I will now look at niche opportunities with an eye to the bigger picture. One idea I’m already mulling over fits the model you describe (build a business then find niches within it). It’s nice to know I was going in the right direction after all.
It’s nice to know there are others out there who think there has to be a different (and smarter) way to get into niche marketing!
I’ll for sure be adding your blog to my list and keep an eye out for more great posts!
Socrates, thank you for your insights. The way you have explained this is perfect. I’ve been learning about marketing and of course the topic of niche marketing comes up. But the whole time I’ve been thinking this is a waste of time and effort from the point-of-view of leveraging on the work you have already done. What made more sense to me is what you have just explained (so very well!) - it’s so good to have my thinking validated. It can be a bit discouraging when all the gurus disagree with you!
So thank you so much for this. It’s given me much more to think about even though I was on the right track with the basics.
Donna
http://thenewzealandsite.com
http://the-garden-site.com
Thanks for a great post … eye-opening content … I though believe many marketers would be happy enough for just being able to create those unrelated $2K / $4K monthly sites every now and then … although even better if related ones
Marko
http://actuafreearticles.com
I think I need to FIRST offer a service to my customers ….. everything else follows naturally. Therefore a simple idea is to ask our niche customers what else they would like to see offered.