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Author "Expertise" and Kindle/Article Marketing Success in Health Niches

by lizbot
6 replies
I've been mulling over a niche in the health sector -- nothing seriously debilitating, but it's definitely a niche with motivated, desperate people. I know because I was one of them for years.

But it's one thing to wade into the IM niche call yourself an internet marketing guru -- once you make a few bucks, you can show people screen caps of your Paypal account and be cheered from all sides -- and it's quite another to wander in and claim you can solve people's medical problems. I'm a great researcher and I'm certain I can create solid content on just about any subject, but without an MD next to my name or some other even tenuously relevant qualification to throw into my author biography, who would listen?

I realize the bar for article marketing is pretty low. Citing one's sources seems a largely non-existant practice and, with a professional-looking website and some good content, I'm guessing you can probably slide over any inconvenient details re: qualifications.

But Kindle, man. These are books. With, you know, covers and things. Presumably, people browsing Kindle are in large part discovering your book on their own, meaning that sales blurb and author biography are going to be the first and only thing about you they see.

I guess what I'm saying is, I wouldn't buy a random ebook from some dude who says he can help my tackle my [insert-ailment-here] without something in the summary lending credibility to his claims.

Do other people? How do you, as a marketer, get around this?
#article marketing #author #expertise #health #kindle #kindle or article #marketing #niches #success
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    I don't spend much time trolling the health topics for Kindle, but I've noticed two types of authors. There's credentialed types, with that MD, RN, etc., and then there's people like you:

    I know because I was one of them for years.
    If you found a treatment that either cured your ailment or even just helped with the symptoms, you can use that. Add some solid, cited, research to validate what you found, and make sure it's in the first 10% of your book so it shows up in the "look inside" view.

    Don't claim to have a cure, just that what you did worked for you. Use your research to back it up.

    Don't be afraid to use citations in your articles, either.

    While the whole "don't admit anyone else might know something" thing might trip the trigger of the position-yourself-as-the-authority, fake it til you make it crowd, real authorities are not afraid to recognize the work of others. In fact, you can boost your authority by "approving" of what a recognized authority publishes. You subtly place yourself on their level.

    As a publisher myself, evidence that you know enough to recognize the expertise of others goes a long way.
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  • Profile picture of the author jstumfer
    Originally Posted by lizbot View Post

    I guess what I'm saying is, I wouldn't buy a random ebook from some dude who says he can help my tackle my [insert-ailment-here] without something in the summary lending credibility to his claims.

    Do other people? How do you, as a marketer, get around this?
    I would be mad at someone who claimed to have the secret to curing a medical problem if that person didn't have the credentials to back it up. Not only would I be mad, but I think that kind of activity is unethical and borderline criminal (just my personal opinion though).

    However, if a person wrote a book about "My story about life with ....... and how I personally dealt with it" - that would be a book I would love to read even though the person had zero medical education.

    So, if I was going to work one of those niches, I would not try to tell people you have a cure because I don't think you have the right to make that claim to people. But, I think it is fair to say "Hey I have no formal medical training, but this is what worked for me"
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  • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
    If you've cured your problem, that's your bio.

    You once struggled, possibly tried other options and them BAM.. this worked.

    You aren't a medical doctor who's only worried about rushing off to his next patient, you're someone who's been there, fought the fight and won. I'd buy a book from you instead of a doctor who's trying to sell more books with his degree attached to it any day.
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  • Profile picture of the author jbsmith
    Certainly you can go ahead and target this niche, just do it in a way that is honest and up-front...as someone who suffered, struggled, learned and overcame DESPITE the experts (as is often the case). Your objective is to take the "regular guy" approach to the topic with your value-add being that...

    1. You have struggled first-hand with the problem - many experts have not
    2. You have poured through the various expert solutions - reviewed their products and approaches and the research...highlighting what you found useful, as well as what you found to be suspect or of limited value
    3. Bring in lesser known material and how that helped you
    4. Create your own proposed solution - you can do this in two ways - get behind someone who has that solution already and include them in your work (even interview them, etc...) OR show how you created a unique solution from all of the various information available and how it worked for you (as well as anyone else who may have experienced similar/same)

    Jeff
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  • Profile picture of the author Krisz Rokk
    You don't need to have a PHD or a medical degree to write about health issues.
    If you had health issues in the past and you have overcome them - that's your story! Tell people how you did it, and what you did in order to get rid of the pain and live a symptom free life.

    For example, say you have some food allergy (gluten intolerance or dairy intolerance) and you found some awesome alternatives to cook gluten-free / dairy-free meals and live a healthy life - why not share that experience with the world? You really don't need to be a doctor to write about your journey...
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  • Profile picture of the author Sushiman1111
    One other point is that sometimes doctors have it wrong. The AMA is so hide-bound that even when good research on a problem is available, it's occasionally not used. I'm in a health niche like the one you describe, and lacking an MD is no big deal. In fact, I turn it into a selling point: "Doctors don't want you to know about this!" etc etc.
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    Got a health/fitness niche list? Become an affiliate for something new and different here.
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