Monster Tip #1 Write for your friends

Some Internet Marketing Gurus may say that you don’t really need to care about a niche to do well in it.   That might be true — but it is much harder to write on a consistent basis about something you don’t really like or know anything about.  Yes, you can hire writers, but still you need to come up with the ideas for content to assign to a writer and that is hard to do if you don’t care about (or really know) your topic.

No, you don’t have to be a world-renowned expert to be able to give helpful information. You just need to know a little more than the average person.  Settling on a niche has been one of my biggest stumbling blocks.  I have so many interests, it is hard to just pick one.  But, if you are going to make the most of your writing time, you need to focus on one basic subject.   On other days, I sometimes feel like I don’t know enough about anything to put myself out there as an expert by writing content.  

The Question To Ask…

I recently participated in a great start from scratch affiliate marketing class with Bob Jenkins called The 8 Fold Path.  Although the class really doesn’t focus on content creation per se — Bob had some excellent ideas about how to find YOUR niche.

As part of the class, Bob asked us to really think about why people ask you for help?  Do people come to you when they need support with technology?  When they need help shopping for a great looking outfit?  Do they want you to help them figure out how to solve thier relationship problems or fix their home ?  Does it seem to you like they should already know the answer to the question because it seems so easy for you?

That is the beginning of a good niche.  Something that you know enough about to easily provide great and helpful information to people on a consistent basis.    It helps to hone your niche down as finely as possible — you can always expand as your information empire grows. Here are some more questions to help you fine tune your niche.

Fine-Tuning Your NIche

1.  Who  has the greatest need for what you know?

2  Who could make the most money from what you do/know?

3. Are there other people making money in your niche (this is a good thing  because it means that there is a money-spending audience out there  for your unique information)?  A quick check — do a google search — are there a lot of ads on the right side of the page?  If so, people are making enough money to spend on advertising.

4. Who are you most passionate about serving?

In the end, the answer to question #4 is the ultimate tie breaker.  Your life as a writer will be a thousand times easier if you are passionate about helping people learn about your area of expertise.  One of the best resources I know of for really nailing down and planning around your passions is the Joyful Business Guide.  The Guide is full of exercises and worksheets to help you create a plan for your business that truly excites you.