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Finding Your Niche – Part 1

This post was most recently updated on February 23rd, 2014

FINDING YOUR NICHE  –  PART ONE

When we speak about finding your niche, it is not as complicated as you might think. It basically gets down to looking inside of yourself to see where your passions truly lie.

Once you’ve done that, you can be a bit more scientific about it by doing keyword searches, checking out the social media and reviewing ads on Google to see what the general online interest is in your niche.

For instance, if your passion is dogs, you might put various keywords into Google to see what sort of people are out there in your niche already, how much activity they seem to be generating, and what the Google ads on the search page are selling.

YOU might find that dog training is where the bulk of the interest is, or dog breeding. You could discover that there are a lot of e-books being promoted, or blog sites featuring dog nutrition. The advertisers may be mostly large companies selling dog food, or they may include small vendors and other bloggers featuring “how to” information products like dog training.

To take it a step further, you could start searching the social sites like FaceBook, YouTube and Twitter to see what groups are out there in this niche, what are they talking about, what are they selling or looking to buy into. A simple search on YouTube, for instance, may introduce you to a great many people buzzing about dog care, dog training and the like. You’ll get to see who they are, visit their blogs and fan pages, and read articles they’ve written on eZine. This will give you a good idea of what sort of social buzz is related to your chosen niche.

There may be several things you want to sell or be a part of, not just dogs. That’s O.K. for starters, but you’ll want to do comparative searches of the various niches you’re considering to see which one has the best fit for you. Ultimately, of course, you are looking to find just ONE niche to develop. At least for now. If you offer too much diverse expertise to too broad of a group of followers, your message may get lost in the vast sea of online information.

Take your time. Sometimes we are in such a rush we get all confused. Your niche has to be built for people that will be attracted to YOU for specific reasons. These reasons will be engineered by you, and the way you choose to develop your niche.

For instance, using the dog example again, you may develop a blog that features you as an expert on dog nutrition. Your articles, videos and social media chat will focus on what are good ways to make your dog healthy. Or, you may decide instead to be an entertainer. You might write funny stories about dogs, do zany videos or craft a cartoon series. You could just be a good resource for dog related products. One day you could introduce your readers to a product for making your dog less aggressive. They next day you might feature a new kind of collar that keeps ticks and fleas off them. You could feature, analyze, critique and even sell these products right on your blog either as a direct seller or as an affiliate.

These are just some brief examples to get your mind turning in the right direction, and to show you how important it is to choose a niche that you are really passionate about. You’ll be doing a lot of work and research in your niche, so you’d better enjoy it… No, you’d better LOVE it! It’s going to be your home base on the internet. All of your activities… socializing, selling, product development… will revolve around it.

This is a two part series…stay tuned for part two!

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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37 Responses to Finding Your Niche – Part 1

  1. Steve Borgman April 6, 2013 at 9:25 pm #

    Donna, thank you for such a practical article! I may use some of these ideas to narrow my niche down even further. I love the idea of che king out social networking sites for specific groups in addition to the keyword searches.

  2. Tristan Nisonger December 1, 2011 at 2:43 pm #

    Nice commentary. Last Month I stumbled onto this site and wanted to let you know that I have been gratified, going through your sites posts. I will be signing up to your blogs feed and will wait for your next post.

  3. Dona Merrill
    Twitter:
    July 20, 2010 at 8:08 pm #

    Thanks Janette. Some people come in with a definite passion, and some have no clue. I’m trying to break it down so people can go “into” themselves and find out what it is.
    .-= Dona Merrill´s last blog ..What’s Holding You Back From Success =-.

  4. Janette Stoll July 19, 2010 at 3:44 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Great tips! You’re right on about taking your time until you find something that feels right for you. It’s not always easy but definitely helpful to tap into available tools i.e. Google Keyword to find what’s being searched and see if there’s enough interest.

    Janette
    .-= Janette Stoll´s last blog ..Marketing your direct sales business this summer- tips to staying connected =-.

  5. Susan Davis July 13, 2010 at 6:33 am #

    Some really great information here Donna. It takes a huge question that so many people have and breaks down into bite size pieces! I am sure it is going to be beneficial to lots of readers!
    .-= Susan Davis´s last blog ..Pssst… Wanna know the 1 secret to success in MLM =-.

    • admin
      Twitter:
      July 13, 2010 at 2:24 pm #

      Thank you Susan!
      So great to connect with you. Yes, I am breaking things down to bite size pieces because my focus lately is for ‘NEWBIES.’

  6. Dona Merrill
    Twitter:
    July 12, 2010 at 11:23 pm #

    Hi Glyna, I was inspired by all the newbies that funnel in from the tribe and other sources.
    .-= Dona Merrill´s last blog ..Finding Your Niche – Part 1 =-.

  7. Glyna Humm July 12, 2010 at 1:48 pm #

    Donna – THis is such a great guide to helping us find the niche we should be following. When you first start network marketing it can be difficult to hone in on one specific interest – thanks for the help!
    .-= Glyna Humm´s last blog ..Facebook Is Playing Hide -amp Go Seek With Your Friends =-.

  8. admin
    Twitter:
    July 12, 2010 at 5:26 am #

    Thanks Marco,
    It IS important to find our Niche. I notice a lot of people getting caught up in sales, that they forget who they are marketing to. We must pay attention to our followers and newbies that are coming in.
    Thank you
    Donna

  9. Marco Amaro July 12, 2010 at 3:03 am #

    Hi Donna!

    I really liked this post! Not only because it’s important to find our niche… but it’s really important to find a niche we’re passionate about.

    Can’t wait for the second part!!!

    Saludos,
    Marco
    .-= Marco Amaro´s last blog ..QuickTip- ¡Indexa Tu Blog a Google Optimizando Los Permalinks- =-.

    • Dona Merrill
      Twitter:
      July 14, 2010 at 10:05 pm #

      Yes, Marco, I have been working with a lot of new people and using techniques to get them to their true desires and passions so they don’t waste time writing about things they “think” they should, but rather Write about things they are passionate about.
      .-= Dona Merrill´s last blog ..Finding Your Niche – Part 1 =-.

  10. Karla Setchel July 11, 2010 at 11:23 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    Thanks so much for your great insight 🙂

    Blessings,
    Karla Setchel
    http://www.KarlaSetchel.com
    .-= Karla Setchel´s last blog ..Reducing Pain and Inflammation with Natural Antioxidants =-.

  11. Raisa Garrido July 11, 2010 at 9:38 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    As always, you break down things and made them look so symply to understand for everybody, that is really a gift to have your insights.
    Finding our niche should be the first step in our bussiness.
    Can’t wait for the second part.
    Thank you
    Raisa

    • admin
      Twitter:
      July 12, 2010 at 5:25 am #

      Thank you Raisa
      I’m trying to break down things because I have so many newbies in my niche. Check out my No. 2!

  12. Dona Merrill
    Twitter:
    July 11, 2010 at 1:34 am #

    Love the last line Sharon. It is so true.
    Newbies that are coming into my network are asking for the bottom line, so I am dedicating some posts for them.
    thank you
    Donna
    .-= Dona Merrill´s last blog ..Finding Your Niche – Part 1 =-.

  13. Sharon Hartman July 9, 2010 at 10:50 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    This topic is a great struggle for alot of people, especially new marketers.

    You offer great advice on how to find your niche. Its so true, one must look inside and find what they are passionate about. This will lead to far more success!

    Otherwise it will become a chore and they will most likely loose interest in blogging over time.

    Its also important to know that its OK to change one’s niche over time if they find an another area that they truely injoy more.

    For when we truely enjoy what we do, it doesn’t feel like work!
    .-= Sharon Hartman´s last blog ..Take Time To Re-Charge Your Mind- Body and Soul… =-.

  14. Magali Delgado July 9, 2010 at 2:41 pm #

    Thanks for this post, I still clearly a need to focus our work because if you do not have a well defined approach one we found.
    It is necessary that the topics they’re passionate focus not so we can develop the best way.
    Be alert to the second part!
    Regards
    Magali
    .-= Magali Delgado´s last blog ..La Clave del Éxito =-.

  15. Dona Merrill
    Twitter:
    July 9, 2010 at 1:10 pm #

    Thank you so much Omar. I am trying to break down things to be simple for newbies to follow. This is an important part of strategies so I had to make it a 2 part series.
    Thanks again – Donna
    .-= Dona Merrill´s last blog ..MARK HOVERSON’S Q-A WEBINAR BLEW MY MIND- =-.

  16. Omar Estrada July 9, 2010 at 3:59 am #

    Hi Donna!

    Great that you attack this topic this week. To define and research a niche is probably the first step every serious marketer should consider to do.

    To work without targeting a well defined niche is like walking blind. But as you say, we need to find out first where our passion lies; in this way, all the work we will have to develop will be also fun 🙂

    Always a pleasure to follow your knowledge.
    .-= Omar Estrada´s last blog ..Trafico Generico vs Trafico Calificado =-.

  17. David A Haines July 9, 2010 at 3:56 am #

    Donna, great advice! I can’t wait for Part 2!

    Sincerely,

    David Haines
    (215) 268-6696 Anytime!
    .-= David A Haines´s last blog ..You Don’t Have to Get it Right… =-.

  18. admin
    Twitter:
    July 9, 2010 at 3:40 am #

    Thanks Faith. If there is any way I could help you with this, please let me know.
    D

  19. Faith Barnard July 9, 2010 at 3:34 am #

    Hi Donna,
    Love this post. It is perfect timing for me because I am working on my offers for my blog. Because I am a Gemini I definitely multifaceted. Your article got me thinking of a number of ways I could do my niche research so I am better prepared as I create my marketing funnel.

    Love your posts and style. Thank you. Look forward to more.

    Faith

  20. Toni King July 7, 2010 at 11:54 am #

    Hi Donna,
    This is a great post, very informative and thorough. You share an abundance of excellent ideas and suggestions for people to follow. Thank you for sharing 😉
    To Success and Joy
    Toni
    .-= Toni King´s last blog ..Promote Yourself And Share What You Do =-.

    • admin
      Twitter:
      July 7, 2010 at 12:17 pm #

      Thank you Toni for your kind words. I’m trying to break things down to a simple form for new beginners.
      Blessings,
      Donna

  21. admin
    Twitter:
    July 6, 2010 at 5:51 pm #

    Hey Nelson,
    I love your reply! You always bring a smile to my face when I read your stuff. Thanks, Donna

  22. Nelson July 6, 2010 at 4:50 pm #

    The problem a lot find is they fail to narrow their niche. You have given solid content here to get past that problem. People tell my all the time that “I’ve gone to the Dogs” Not so I say, I’m narrowing my niche to only Dogs who look like me.
    .-= Nelson´s last blog ..“He was Voted Most Likely To Not Make It” =-.

  23. Val Wilcox July 6, 2010 at 4:33 pm #

    Donna,
    Such great ideas for narrowing down your niche and being ale to connect to that segment. It really does make all the difference in the world for your site.

    Thanks for sharing these great tips,
    Val 😉
    .-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Renew Your Mindset With Faith =-.

    • admin
      Twitter:
      July 6, 2010 at 5:27 pm #

      Hey Val, thank you. Yes, I am trying to narrow things down for so many of the newbies I am working with. The whole concept of marketing can be confusing when you come into it, especially MLM people. They are trained in a different way and have to learn so many how-to’s. I made this a 2 part series because it is important for people to find that niche.
      Thanks again,
      Donna

  24. Venus :) July 6, 2010 at 4:03 pm #

    Donna,

    This is one of the most talked about topic. We even take it for granted. Most are not very clear on what it is. In fact, is an important part of the success on any road.

    Thanks for bringing it up,
    Venus 🙂
    .-= Venus :)´s last blog ..Free Lunch part 1 =-.

    • admin
      Twitter:
      July 6, 2010 at 5:25 pm #

      Thanks Venus, It is the most talked about, and yes we do take it for granted. I did a two part series to be very clear on it so people could further understand how to look inside themselves and see what exactly they are comfortable and eager to work on.
      Thanks again,
      Donna

  25. Don Enck July 6, 2010 at 3:04 pm #

    Donna,
    Thanks for opening the door and shedding light on this topic. Finding a niche can be a fairly long process and it can change over time. The ideas you give on how to get started and to narrow your focus are great pointers for beginning the search. I look forward to the second part of your series.
    .-= Don Enck´s last blog ..A 10 Week Journey…Something Old…Something New =-.

    • admin
      Twitter:
      July 7, 2010 at 2:28 pm #

      Hey Don,
      Yes, I am trying to break things down for beginners. I have many in my niche right now and need to remind myself of the
      101! That’s why I’m centering things on simplicity.

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