Ignoring the rules and just picking a Niche I love?

19 replies
Everyone keeps mumbling the same old regurgitated garbage about how you MUST pick the right niche with little or no competition if you want to succeed. If you pick the wrong one then you will NEVER rank for it and will not ever make any money.

I call B.S. on this.

Tons of new companies start up every year in saturated markets. Sure, some have a lot of funding behind them but I don't really think that money is the only way to get started. Sweat equity can take you further and more than likely help you to create a better product.

So who else agrees with me that when picking a niche, you should just go with something you love or prefer to do instead of something that has only 4,400 exact matches and low competition?
#ignoring #love #niche #picking #rules
  • Profile picture of the author butters
    I agree with both if that helps I agree that you should do something you love doing but it should also fit in with the data. It doesn't make sense doing something you love if you just can't compete at a high level. Thats when it becomes more of a hobby then a business, look at the numbers, is time invested in "sweat equity" worth it in real terms or isn't it. Ultimately it comes down to putting food on the plate and a roof over your head, if your passion doesn't cut it, then cut it. If something you hate doing allows you to put food on the table, well, you better start doing it .
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  • Profile picture of the author Nathan Bumstead
    The first "guru" I ever followed actually stated he wouldn't go into a niche unless there was a lot of competition. Because then he knew it was already a proven market. He went on to say also that it's a lot harder to be a "trailblazer" and go into unproven markets.

    But I think it goes back to what Jim Collins says when describing his Hedgehog concept. You need the intersection of 3 areas to become great: 1) What you are passionate about? 2) What you can be best in the world at? (Uniquely gifted at). 3) What drives your economic engine?

    If you're missing any of those 3, you can become good... but never great.
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  • Profile picture of the author Elvis Michael
    I do agree with you. Everything is profitable if you work hard at it. Choosing a non-competitive niche can somewhat expedite your success by means of organic traffic, etc. But also let's not forget that SEO and low competition are not the answer to everything. There's still good old fashioned networking, building relationships, useful blog commenting, article syndication, social media and so on. So by all means go for your passion, as long as you're ready to make it successful.
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  • Profile picture of the author ymest
    Originally Posted by RebelMVP View Post

    Everyone keeps mumbling the same old regurgitated garbage about how you MUST pick the right niche with little or no competition if you want to succeed. If you pick the wrong one then you will NEVER rank for it and will not ever make any money.

    I call B.S. on this.

    Tons of new companies start up every year in saturated markets. Sure, some have a lot of funding behind them but I don't really think that money is the only way to get started. Sweat equity can take you further and more than likely help you to create a better product.

    So who else agrees with me that when picking a niche, you should just go with something you love or prefer to do instead of something that has only 4,400 exact matches and low competition?
    I totally agree with you with this! When I started IM, I was told to go into a few niches that I didn't like! I made some money but needless to say that I found it boring! I didn't go very far with it! It's like doing a J-O-B you don't like, really!

    So, going for what you like doing makes sense! When you're enthusiastic about something you're likely to be FAR MORE CREATIVE! You'll want to succeed! I also wish people could stop with the " competition numbers"! There are saturated markets everywhere as you said but what matters is the quality of the content-- if we are talking about content-- that you put out!!

    A very wise wf member called Craig Desorcy recently wrote something that's far more interesting and intelligent than the usual BS we constantly hear!

    "Where can I get money seems to drive lots of folks in internet marketing and it also seems to be at the root of a lot of suffering.

    I'd like to suggest a different set of questions to ask in addition to where I can get money.

    What skills do I have that I can exchange for money on the internet?

    Where can I create value and get paid for it?

    What skills are in demand online and is there one or two I can learn quickly, have an interest in and enjoy doing?"

    I like his approach! Hope you'll like it too!

    Yoan
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    • Profile picture of the author prettysavvy
      I would rather pick a niche I love, preferably with lots of monetization potential. Evergreen niches are good in that you already know there's big demand, and you can often find subniches you could cater for.

      The first site I created never got anywhere because I just picked some niche I wasn't really interested in, based solely on keyword research. Never earned a penny on that site. Good riddance!

      My biggest moneymaker (besides offering services) has been my blog in the exercise / weight loss niche (with my own slant). I have had my blog for almost three years and I'm not tired of it at all.

      My best advice to Rebel is that it's better to just create a site than procrastinate on the decision indefinitely. Even if you end up abandoning the niche you first picked, you still learned something valuable in the process. It's not a catastrophe if you pick a niche and it flops.

      You don't want to end up like one lady in my home forum who has been a member for three years and who still asn't created her first site. She's now obsessing about wheter her keyword research is complete (perfect) enough so she could actually proceed to setting up wordpress on her domain. Scary decision!
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  • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
    Originally Posted by RebelMVP View Post

    Everyone keeps mumbling the same old regurgitated garbage about how you MUST pick the right niche with little or no competition if you want to succeed. If you pick the wrong one then you will NEVER rank for it and will not ever make any money.

    I call B.S. on this.
    You would be right to call this B.S too!

    It is totally wrong!

    If a niche does NOT have any competition or people trying to make money in the niche this is normally because there is no money in it!

    However this is not to be confused with finding your "piece of the pie".

    I.E Get six pack abs will have a ton of competition but you might be able to get ranked on "how to get rid of stomach fat" etc... so you can always find your spot but initially the bigger the niche and the more competition the better.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Blades
    Ignoring the rules and just picking a Niche I love?
    When did picking a niche you love go against the rules??? Who ever feed you that nonsense is full of it. It's easy to tell somebody not to get into a niche while the person telling you not to is making a killing in it.

    If you have a passion for it, then jump on it. There are many ways to work yourself into a big niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author Malcolm Thomas
    I agree with this post. It's very important to pick a niche you are very passionate about this way you will be able to stick with it for the ling term. Also niches with little or no competition are usually niches with very little profitablity.
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  • Profile picture of the author thatjc
    Good points here.

    A lot of competition in a niche means there is a real market and there is money to be made - if you have the other requirements lined up.

    One such other requirement is your passion for the topic. You need that to keep you working hard and staying positive - especially during the inevitable tough spots. Besides keeping you personally motivated, passion comes through to your visitors in the tone of your content. Passion is somewhat contagious. And wouldn't you rather enjoy what you're doing than do it because it has to be done? This kind of joy in our work is a big part of why people "work for themselves" instead of for someone else.

    As others have mentioned, another requirement is having the skills and tools to produce products, services, or whatever you're offering, which are of top quality. Just as lipstick on a pig doesn't make it more than a pig, you can't compete if you have inferior offers, content or websites.

    And the "U" in UVP (Unique Value Proposition) is all about not having to compete - because you're truly unique. You are the only source for your particular offer. It doesn't matter how big a competitor is, how deep their pockets or how well established - if you have what they don't, and can get it seen.

    Take an online fine artist as an example, lets say a photographer. There is tremendous competition in photography online. Yet if our example photographer has a unique style and it's tied to their unique nature and artist's vision (it's not a fad or fashion), then they have no competition because no one else is them.

    _jim coe
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    • Profile picture of the author NewRiseDigital
      If you want to build a long term income in any business, you have to love what you do and be passionate about it, otherwise your interest will take you elsewhere and your business will just start gathering cobwebs.

      If you bring a passion to your niche, your enthusiasm can only be infectious, and will keep you standing out for years to come.

      Again one of the biggest myths about niches with little competition is that there's an opportunity or gap in the market there, whilst there may be a few pockets still left, in the main the internet business arena is mature enough to have tested most markets, so if there is little or no competition then that's a warning sign that there are few or no buyers in the market. Go where people are already putting their hand in their pocket and be 10% better than the rest.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sue McDonald
    I agree with this post. There are things that you are passionate about and if you pick a good sub niche you know that you can make it.

    You can basically do both - something you are passionate about and something that you know will make you money. What ever you do you have to be prepared to work for your success - there are no easy "push button" methods available.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lena Williams
    Of course I will prefer a niche that I love to read and write about. I have got some knowledge about IM and I love to read about it. If I start a blog, definitely I will start a blog about IM regardless the competition it may have. There may be other niche like mortgage, bad credit, loans, insurance etc. Which are very high paying but as I do not have decent knowledge about those niche, I will never go for them.
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    • Profile picture of the author RebelMVP
      Thanks for all of the replies!

      Good stuff!



      "Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better."
      -Jim Rohn
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  • Profile picture of the author evilsaigon
    There is usually some cash to be made no matter how abstract your niche is, especially if you're going to aim for organic search traffic. You will realize there may be a lot of hidden, heavily searched keyword gems waiting for someone to dominate with good content, that is if you do your research properly, and this is just for organic traffic.

    One of the cute, unorthodox niches I've encountered is halloween costumes for dogs. You can research it and see its unknown profitability! Picking your passionate niche is definitely a good choice. Either way, you must still do your research, and with this perfect combo preparation, you will definitely excel for the long run.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    Hey man. I REALLY glad you posted this because its refreshing to see someone that "gets it". I think for a lot of people, they simply chase "metrics", and forget that its never enjoyable to work on something you either know nothing about or don't like.

    I shot a video about this very subject not too long ago that I think you might enjoy.

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  • Profile picture of the author James Hessler
    @prettysavvy: Thanks for a small kick and reminder. Seems like I have been procrastinating, but have been working my behind off, outwith busking. Re niches. If your passion has no traffic or anyone interested it probanly will be harder to make a business of it. But.. Sometimes it could mean that you are in front of a larger curve...I would imagine ploughing a niche your not interested in will be harder to maintain...
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  • Profile picture of the author MartinPlatt
    Originally Posted by RebelMVP View Post

    Everyone keeps mumbling the same old regurgitated garbage about how you MUST pick the right niche with little or no competition if you want to succeed. If you pick the wrong one then you will NEVER rank for it and will not ever make any money.

    I call B.S. on this.

    Tons of new companies start up every year in saturated markets. Sure, some have a lot of funding behind them but I don't really think that money is the only way to get started. Sweat equity can take you further and more than likely help you to create a better product.

    So who else agrees with me that when picking a niche, you should just go with something you love or prefer to do instead of something that has only 4,400 exact matches and low competition?
    I don't think it's BS - for most people, I don't think that they would have the motivation or drive to push through and make the big efforts required to succeed in tougher markets.

    I think if anyone has the motivation, and won't ever give up, and will learn from their mistakes, eventually they will make it.

    A lot of that advice is given to people who need to make money now, if not sooner. In that instance, you'd have to go for the low hanging fruit.

    I think you have to understand that in a competitive market, full of experienced marketers, you'r going to have to be very lucky, or very very driven to find success, if you're starting out, and are up against people who make millions doing this.

    The key to this is how much you drill down into your niche, and what angle you have.
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  • Profile picture of the author MarvyDery
    it is the best way to start IM. all my years into IM, i pick a niche i love, then do keyword research for find a micro niche a i can monetize.
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