Finding a Niche through the “how”… (PART 1)
Finding a niche is a big part of any successful campaign, but can also be an unnecessary setback for new Internet marketers.
There are many different avenues you can go down to find a niche, and today we are going to uncover one that is not only very powerful, but it can be done with minimal work (and is fun!).
This is something we like to call the “how” technique.
Have you ever had a problem or an issue that you were looking to fix? Chances are you have. We run into problems on a day to day basis, whether it is job-related, health related, technology or something related to your personal life.
As an Internet marketer, you can leverage this. Any problem usually has a solution. People are willing to pay for these solutions and as an online marketer you can take advantage of this.
Think about some common problems that people face:
Losing Weight
Getting Rid of Stress
Quitting Smoking
Fixing a slow computer
Learning How to Use Their New mp3 Player
Getting Dog to Stop Barking
Getting Rid of Athletes Foot
Learning How to Make Money Online
Getting rid of wrinkles
Clearing up acne
Rebuilding a dirt bike’s engine
Making vehicle more fuel efficient
These are just a few. The list could go on and on.
People run into issues every day. Whether it is their slow computer dragging them down, they have “debt” piling up, or they need a solution to a health issue they are having, where there is a problem, there is money to be made.
So how do you go about leveraging this as a marketer?
One of the best ways to research problems is to use a question and answer site. There are now several of them out there, but the best ones are:
http://answers.yahoo.com
http://wikihow.com
http://ehow.com
Here is the process for researching:
(1) Type in a keyword related to the industry you are searching
(2) Create a list of all the questions people are asking within that topic
(3) Probe to find the hot button (people search for a how, but behind all of this there is a “why” …why does this person want to lose weight
(4) Formulate a campaign from your findings
Now, how do you actually apply this? We are going to give you an example of how you would research something. For this, we are going to look into something that many people are struggling with right now, “unemployment”.
Step 1: We typed the search term “unemployment” into wikiHow, eHow, and Yahoo Answers.
Step 2: We recorded a list of all the questions related. Here they are (in no particular order).
How to cope with unemployment?
How to relocate a business?
How to get more job security?
How to cope with being fired?
How to survive job layoffs?
How to get out of debt legally?
How to file an unemployment claim?
How to apply for unemployment benefits?
How to calculate unemployment?
How to prepare for unemployment?
How to overcome unemployment?
How to collect unemployment in [state/city/country]?
What happens to unemployment if you become pregnant?
Can I collect unemployment if I work for a non-profit?
Does my unemployment income count when applying for a home loan?
How do I report my unemployment benefits?
..and this was just the start? We could have literally come up with 100’s of more questions, but for the sake of this example we have kept it to 16.
Step 3: Now that you have all of these examples, you need to search for the why? People are asking these questions “why”?
The most obvious one is that they are asking it because they are losing their jobs or have already lost their job (in most cases) and are looking for assistance. One thing you quickly understand when reading their questions in full is that they are in a financial bind?
Your job as a marketer is not only to help these people by “informing” them, but also to give them a solution to the root of their problem. In this case, the root of their problem is being unemployed…and the resolution to their problem will vary from question to question slightly, but the consensus is that these people want to make more money.
Step 4: Now it is time to build a campaign around your findings. You understand people are looking for unemployment, but now you need to inform them via your web page and offer some advice and insight as to how to resolve the problem.
These are a couple of resolutions to this problem (these ideas were taken from the responses):
-get employment assistance (unemployment)
-find a new job
-make money leveraging new avenues (like the Internet)
-register details with a temp agency
-strategies for saving money
-apply for welfare
Then you could probe this industry even further. This was just a simple and broad search under the search term “unemployment”. What if you took terms relevant to this like “find job”, “fired”, “lay off”, “employment” and applied the same strategy? You search would expand, your understanding of the niche would expand, and the insight would allow you to create a much more profitable campaign.
Hope this gives everyone a new tool in the arsenal. We are going to expand on this within our next blog post and show how you can incorporate some free online resources to expand on your “how to” research.
Until then, take care.
Kyle & Carson
The Wealthy Affiliates
I couldn’t agree with you more, I will try this approach and see how it works. Thanks for the tip, great idea!
Hi kyle! Am new on block, haven read your tutorials, i want to attest that they are appear interesting and educative. But weither it will translate into financial gain as stipulation, am yet to findout.
this is clever! that`s why you are who you are
@ Victor
Glad you liked the post and I am glad that I could help you out! Researching does not have to be some sort of science…it could be as simple as watching TV or being aware when you are out and see advertisements and overhear conversations in regards to certain niches.
Niche ideas and keyword concepts are literally EVERYWHERE>
Cheers,
Kyle
Hi Kyle, I have been having a hard time with the research aspect of finding a niche and felt like I was spinning my wheels, but I am starting to understand the research process better now.
Thanks for the great post and I am looking forward to reading part 2.
Cheers!
@ Charley
Yes, affiliate marketing for many people is a full time job. I cannot say what the Internet will look like in 15 years, but affiliate marketing or some variation thereof will almost inevitably existing. The exciting part about the Internet marketing world is that each year brings new surprises, new opportunities, and new ways to earn.
Hi kyle, an informative post you have here. Can i focus on affiliate marketing as a full time job?
Will affiliate marketing continue to be a good source of income even in the next 15 years?
How long does it take for newbies at WA to start making money using only article marketing as their traffic generation source? Please note that i am not doubting the effectiveness of your program. I would prefer the answers to these questions to be sent to me via email. Thanks.
Kyle and Carson have done great,I know this is just a tip. I have been into IM since 2002 but not made a dime,wit just these i hope i would be able to make a few legal dollars online to pay my bills. WA has shown professionalism in the area of getting a niche which is the spring board to real online marketing success.
Thanks
Hello Kyle & Carson
I must congratulate you Guys doing your best to help all newbies to be the Best.May the Almighty Bless you guys for all the help. I have been a member with WA university for the past 2 months , but unable to continue as I am unable to afford it for long being jobless.
I missed asking all the right questions to be successful as an affiliate with Clickbank.
Good Going keep it up.
Michael Fernandes
You have light soul and high intellect.
kyle&carson. thanks for the lecture but after getting all the facts that i need where and how do i paste it in my website.
Thank you Kyle…
this post make it even more easier to understand how to know what potential customers want or need. Nice tip…this could make a whole lot difference.
Anwar
Guys…I think…u are really brilliant. Honestly, I really wanted to join u from the very start..Just that, my visa card is not accepted for payment..I dont know why and until now, im still in the process of getting a new card just to pay for homebased opportunities(hope bank will make it faster) but honestly, u guys rock really!!..I think, Im falling in love with you too….you are really fantastic…but Im already taken(LOL) but honestly, im happy and look forward to be part of your team….hope soonest! Great article huys! Thanks!
You two are doing a tremendous job by helping the little guy in this Jungle of Internet Marketing.
This is quite a unique way to find a money making Niche. But I thought that there is a problem
in this particular instance.
we are trying to make money out of those who are already in a desperate situation by being “unemployed”.
Most probably the best would be to offer them good advice to help them back into earning some income and only then think about maknig money by offering them ways to make it even better.
Applied to some other problems like getting rid of wrinkles or quitting smoking this should work pretty well as these groups of people are not short of a bob or two.
Carry on the good work.
Thanks
Cyril here.
Thank you very much for the wonderful article. I will treasure it and read through it and wait for the
other one. I appreciate you sharing this with me, especially I can’t afford to have your membership.
Hopefully I can get my website fixed and start using it, it is amazing what a person misses out on
by being a zero techie. And having no money.
It is good there are people like you that put people before money.
thanks, John Wright
Great info Kyle! I plan on starting back up my membership fairly soon. Keep up the good work!
you guys rock…..its a great job and it certainly does work!!
Do you actually help people to choose niches? Do you have a program where specific niches are even suggested to someone? I’ve been researching this for a long time, through Wordtracker and the like, and I just can’t come up with anything viable.
@ Richard Sanczel
At WA we teach you to promote whatever you like. We offer Internet marketing training, which encapsulates the promotion of anything online. Whichever products you apply our techniques to is up to you.
Cheers,
Kyle
@ Daisy
You can use pseudonyms within different industries if you like, that is a personal choice. If you do have questions, we can definitely field them within WA!
I am ready! But need a question answered first. How is your organization tied into acme people search? Can anyone get into your program without going through acme? If I recommend someone to your program without going through acme how will that affect me. I am not interested in building a “down line” as depicted by acme and am only interested in building an internet business. Please answer quickly as I am now ready to go and time means money. Thank you.
Hi guys
I like the way you tell it
I just have one question. If you are promoting several products, do you (or any others) have different psudonyms etc for the different products? I’m guessing this might get a little confusing!
Thanks for takin’ the time to tell us this stuff, it’s really aprreciated!
Daisy. x
Thanks Kyle,Carson and Marcus in the UK for all the gems
of free advice you have E-mailed me before you have taken
a cent. I have done a LOT of research in finding the right source to help me in marketing and I have now stopped looking.
Like it very much… Gets me on the path of doing the research the right way…
Now putting it all together is the next step.
Helping people and still make money right?
Thanks a million…
Reg B.
http:www.demandmovies.net
Hi Guys,
This is my first day with WA and I like what I have seen. Great report on finding your niche. I enjoyed reading about the four steps of research and using more than just Google. You have everything set up so a person can follow through in a step by step program. Thanks for making it plain and easier.
John
Hi Kyle and Carson! I am a newcomer to all this internet marketing. I think it is amazing what you guys do and how you do it. I just need some guidance on how to get this up and running. I want to join a site but afraid of getting scammed. I joined alot of different sites and I rec’d no help from them. Anyhow, I am looking to get something going soon here and I just needed a step by step program to get my feet wet.
Any advice?
Laura – Ohio
K&C you guys simply rock your advise regarding affiliate marketing is by far the best i have come across, cuttting threw all the bullsh*t published. you guys give it clearly , B&W and step by step answering all the FAQ’s . not leaving users in the dark as all the others do.
… 6 star service.
Suburb information. Than you guys.