Too competitive for a new niche site?

Although I do not market very extensively in a "car" niche, I do so in dozens of similarly competitive niches. In my experience, forget about trying to rank in Google within any practical timeframe; SEO professionals and deep-pocketed marketers often dominate, leaving nothing but crumbs for the average person. However, one can by-pass such intense competition by marketing directly to targeted prospects using what many consider to be "classical marketing methods" (ie old).

For example, within any highly competitive and commercially viable niche there are thousands or perhaps even hundreds of thousands of online/offline publications read by tightly targeted enthusiasts. Such is the case in car niches - especially the classics. My modus operandi over the last 16 years or so has been to build my business from other people's lists. Specifically, writing articles and syndicating them to niche publications who already have done much of the heavy lifting with their loyal subscribers.

This marketing model is described in a very old ebook (but also still quite relevant in today's marketing environment) which I frequently recommend: Turn Words Into Traffic, by Jim and Dallas Edwards. IMNSHO, there is no better conversion factor greater than an implied endorsement from a publisher who regards your articles as acceptable to their readership audience. This method can draw in floods of targeted prospects within a few weeks, in contrast to months (if ever) of getting ranked by Google in heavily competitive niches.