Warrior Meme # 3 Needs Explaining

15 years ago

Hey Steve,

I hear ya man...but I gotta tell you, once you get into a niche that is producing results and you create a small following of people who hang on your every word, it suddenly becomes more fun and interesting.

Personally, I am in one particular niche that I know nothing about, yet my list loves my content and I am making sales.

In terms of the content, I outsource it but add my own twists and personality. I guess it can get harder when the emotions are less strong and there is only scraps of cash potential to be had.

Having said that, there are some industries I would LOVE to operate in, but I just can't pull myself to get involved...

...I dunno, for me it's not black and white as to whether I have a real life affinity with the niche market, but just whether I feel I can help and communicate/connect with the niche's audience.

It's a toughie though, because to really exploit a market, it sure is easier when you know it inside out instead of having to carefully think about everything you post, say or otherwise offer to them.

But the truth is, there's nothing stopping you outsource all the "core advice" and just wrapping your own personality around it.

I like to think of everything I do as a marketing project. I get really pumped up and excited about practicing and applying marketing techniques that I have learned over the years to real people who don't "see through" what I am doing, but instead love me for being "their trusted friend and advisory".

The other way I look at this is like:

You don't see marketing companies get "bored" of working for big clients that their staff don't personally have an interest in, but they still go out and create amazing marketing campaigns that produce major success for these obscure and also large corporate companies.

I think the kick is in marketing, not in the actual market itself. Either way, you and I are independent marketers (well, that's what I am anyway) and I do my work as any marketing company would (albeit on a much smaller scale, but with far less overheads!).

Originally Posted by Steven Fullman

Warrior Meme # 3 - "Just Starting Out? Write About Something You're PASSIONATE About!!!"

OK, what if we can't find a niche which suits our 'passion'?

What if we have no 'passion' - mainstream or otherwise.

What if we don't like dogs...or golf...or female illnesses, or cars, or making up with ex's, or some obscure form of gardening, or foot-porn?

What if we don't like cooking, green energy, quilting, bead-making, beer-making or kinky love-making?

What then?

Warriors. Where does your passion come from?

Do you wing it?

Research & outsource?

OR are you genuinely comfortable in these obscure niches?

Help appreciated,
Steve

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Steven Wagenheim

15 years ago

Hey Steve, what's cooking?

Good question. Here's the problem with answering it.

Those who have passions and interests don't understand what it's like not
to have passions and interests. Those who don't are in the same boat as
you. They don't know what to do either.

Having so many interests that I passionately love (here they are)

Music
Writing
Computers
Toys
Games
Puppets
Sports
History
Researching

And tons more, I just don't know what to tell you. I can't possibly fathom
somebody going through life and not having at least one thing that they're
passionate about. Even my best friend Paul is into music and porn. Those
are both marketable niches if he wanted to do marketing. Of course the
poor guy has the brain of a fruit salad so running a home business is not
an option for him. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy dearly (he saved
my life about 35 years ago) but he's not the brightest bulb on the
Christmas tree and he'll be the first to tell you that. But don't try to stump
him on music trivia...he'll kick your butt all over the place.

Point is, it's like trying to tell somebody from North Korea what the word
freedom means. The definition will have no meaning to them. Oh, and I
got this from a West Wing episode.

I don't even know how to tell somebody to get an interest. How do you
force somebody to love something? I don't think you can. You can only
try something out and hope you learn to love it.

Probably not the answer you wanted but it's the best I can do.

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Steven Fullman

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Hey Steve, what's cooking?

Good question. Here's the problem with answering it.

Those who have passions and interests don't understand what it's like not
to have passions and interests. Those who don't are in the same boat as
you. They don't know what to do either.

Having so many interests that I passionately love (here they are)

Music
Writing
Computers
Toys
Games
Puppets
Sports
History
Researching

And tons more, I just don't know what to tell you. I can't possibly fathom
somebody going through life and not having at least one thing that they're
passionate about. Even my best friend Paul is into music and porn. Those
are both marketable niches if he wanted to do marketing. Of course the
poor guy has the brain of a fruit salad so running a home business is not
an option for him. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy dearly (he saved
my life about 35 years ago) but he's not the brightest bulb on the
Christmas tree and he'll be the first to tell you that. But don't try to stump
him on music trivia...he'll kick your butt all over the place.

Point is, it's like trying to tell somebody from North Korea what the word
freedom means. The definition will have no meaning to them. Oh, and I
got this from a West Wing episode.

I don't even know how to tell somebody to get an interest. How do you
force somebody to love something? I don't think you can. You can only
try something out and hope you learn to love it.

Probably not the answer you wanted but it's the best I can do.

Steve,

It's not that I don't have interests...in fact...apart from puppets, we share the same list!

Even more so, I have a PASSIONATE interest in music.

Looks like I attacked the question from the wrong angle again, and seems like you found me out.

Thanks, Steve. Damn you're a clever *******. I'm full of ideas already.

Thanks

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Steven Fullman

15 years ago

Nick,

Cheers for the great reply.

So you don't necessarily care about the niche topic, you concentrate on how you can improve it for everyone involved?

Or does that sound too much like a John Candy film?
Steve

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Nick Brighton

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Fullman

Nick,

Cheers for the great reply.

So you don't necessarily care about the niche topic, you concentrate on how you can improve it for everyone involved?

Or does that sound too much like a John Candy film?
Steve

I care enough to solve their problems and deliver massive value,
and in my book that's enough (and incidently, seems to be all
they want from me too!).

I wouldn't say I am improving anything, I am just doing what
all great marketers try to do: Connect with a market on an
emotional level and create trust in a product or service...

...and as I say, you don't need to love what your working
in, you just need to be able to provide what they are looking for.

So, you'd start with the articles. That's easy to do, right? A little
research and you're good to go.

Then you'd typically have the free report or lead generator. Some
markets don't want traditional report based content, they want
software or just resources, tools or even just exclusivity to
something (think wholesale lists, private contacts, discount
gardening tools)

But for arguments sake, if it's a the classic free report, I get
it written up (hello Elance), and make it look sexy...

...then throw a nice dose of PPC traffic to it and start building
the list.

Then what? I follow up with MORE articles, but inject my
personality into it and start connecting with the crowd in my
own unique way.

Then I sell them as much stuff as I can until they get off
my list or make me a little bit richer...either way, as long as
I have more subscribers coming in than are leaving, I am
doing a good job.

Bottom line? I don't EVER need to have a personal interest
in the topic, nor do I need to be the expert.

I just need to be the pizza delivery guy who gets laid.

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Steven Fullman

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Nick Brighton

I care enough to solve their problems and deliver massive value,
and in my book that's enough (and incidently, seems to be all
they want from me too!).

I wouldn't say I am improving anything, I am just doing what
all great marketers try to do: Connect with a market on an
emotional level and create trust in a product or service...

...and as I say, you don't need to love what your working
in, you just need to be able to provide what they are looking for.

So, you'd start with the articles. That's easy to do, right? A little
research and you're good to go.

Then you'd typically have the free report or lead generator. Some
markets don't want traditional report based content, they want
software or just resources, tools or even just exclusivity to
something (think wholesale lists, private contacts, discount
gardening tools)

But for arguments sake, if it's a the classic free report, I get
it written up (hello Elance), and make it look sexy...

...then throw a nice dose of PPC traffic to it and start building
the list.

Then what? I follow up with MORE articles, but inject my
personality into it and start connecting with the crowd in my
own unique way.

Then I sell them as much stuff as I can until they get off
my list or make me a little bit richer...either way, as long as
I have more subscribers coming in than are leaving, I am
doing a good job.

Bottom line? I don't EVER need to have a personal interest
in the topic, nor do I need to be the expert.

I just need to be the pizza delivery guy who gets laid.

Nick - thanks, mate.

Your answer has rendered my intermediate questions completely redundant.

Superb, and thought provoking, answer. Thanks again.

Kind regards,
Steve

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Chris Lockwood

15 years ago

How do you spend your spare time? Or what would you do if you had enough money that you didn't need to work?

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Jeremy Kelsall

15 years ago

Steve, screw what your passionate about dude....

Become passionate about what gets you paid

I could honestly give 2 rats farts about some of the niches that I am in. I have grown to love them though

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Steven Fullman

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kelsall

Steve, screw what your passionate about dude....

Become passionate about what gets you paid

I could honestly give 2 rats farts about some of the niches that I am in. I have grown to love them though

Jeremy,

I have the utmost respect for you...your last WSO is my all time favorite...but I have real trouble writing about things i know nothing/could care less about...THAT's a discipline which needs slapping into me!

Thanks, J.

Steve

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Nick Brighton

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Fullman

Jeremy,

I have the utmost respect for you...your last WSO is my all time favorite...but I have real trouble writing about things i know nothing/could care less about...THAT's a discipline which needs slapping into me!

Thanks, J.

Steve

Then don't write. There's a world of hungry writers and experts out there who
need feeding. Go feed em and get your own cake too.

The beauty of internet marketing is the tremendous amount of leverage we have
as marketers to research everything and have others build our assets for us, even
if we do have to pay them $200 for the best damn free report you've ever read.

Just think what the long term benefits are, and forget about working on things
that are not in your comfort zone...leave that for the chickens still trapped in
cubicles on 4.80 per hour.

Thanks
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Jeremy Kelsall

15 years ago

uh huh! What he said!

Originally Posted by Nick Brighton

Then don't write. There's a world of hungry writers and experts out there who
need feeding. Go feed em and get your own cake too.

The beauty of internet marketing is the tremendous amount of leverage we have
as marketers to research everything and have others build our assets for us, even
if we do have to pay them $200 for the best damn free report you've ever read.

Just think what the long term benefits are, and forget about working on things
that are not in your comfort zone...leave that for the chickens still trapped in
cubicles on 4.80 per hour.

Thanks
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Nick Brighton

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Fullman

Nick - thanks, mate.

Your answer has rendered my intermediate questions completely redundant.

Superb, and thought provoking, answer. Thanks again.

Kind regards,
Steve

My pleasure Steve. We all go through what I refer to as mud patches
in our marketing ventures, myself included.

Often, I find it's just nice to hear other people's viewpoints, as that
is usually enough to firmly nudge me to take a grip on things and get
some damn money outta this interwebby thing.

P.S
This particular problem took me 2 years to overcome, so if you
get over it in one evening, you're 511 days ahead of me ;-)

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Steven Fullman

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Nick Brighton

My pleasure Steve. We all go through what I refer to as mud patches
in our marketing ventures, myself included.

Often, I find it's just nice to hear other people's viewpoints, as that
is usually enough to firmly nudge me to take a grip on things and get
some damn money outta this interwebby thing.

P.S
This particular problem took me 2 years to overcome, so if you
get over it in one evening, you're 511 days ahead of me ;-)

Can't thank you enough, Nick.

You've cleared up this particular mud patch.

My best wishes, and appreciation,
Steve

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Steven Fullman

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Nick Brighton

Then don't write. There's a world of hungry writers and experts out there who
need feeding. Go feed em and get your own cake too.

The beauty of internet marketing is the tremendous amount of leverage we have
as marketers to research everything and have others build our assets for us, even
if we do have to pay them $200 for the best damn free report you've ever read.

Just think what the long term benefits are, and forget about working on things
that are not in your comfort zone...leave that for the chickens still trapped in
cubicles on 4.80 per hour.

Not only damned great advice, but eminently quotable, too!

Thanks

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Candace Gill

15 years ago

I find when researching the actual niche, to build the design, discover the market ect... You learn in the process and find a passion in the niche over time.

Also, you can always look up ebooks or other reading material to help verse you on the actual material.

If you find you are stalled on actually finding a passion, than outsource, because the project will become stalled if you simply do not have any interest.