Motivation and Success Niche Domination... Specialization is King
Niche Domination... Specialization is King
It's always refreshing to read someone that has a lot of experience and influence talk about the things that I focus on and have been telling others for years. :) ....not trying to pat myself on the back here 
but truly, it's proof that I'm not alone in believing this is one of the best approaches to dominate any niche.
Michel Fortin (A direct response copywriter and marketing consultant for close to 20 years (on the Internet since 1992)), you may have heard of him, has a great post related to Niche Marketing that I really had to share with you. He starts:
Since I hated prospecting, I found more effective marketing strategies that caused high quality prospects to come to me instead of the other way around. I no longer had to prospect. I no longer had to be rejected. I no longer had doors slammed in my face.
In short, I went from prospecting to positioning.
In other words, I decided to specialize in a specific niche and deal with only a small percentage of the market — even though my employer did not require it of me. I positioned myself as an expert for a specific target market within that company’s larger market.
Read the Entire Article: Carve Your Niche By Dominating One (Good Stuff!)
Boom, Boom, Pow! Right on, right on..
I can totally relate to this adjustment of approach both online and from my past offline experiences.
Before I became a full-time Internet Marketer back in 2005, I had run a number of different businesses. In each of them, I carved my niche and specialized in certain things within a much larger market.
Early in my Insurance Career we had an independent agency that literally sold products from 50+ insurance companies. We pretty much could sell anything for the right price. We even had "Lloyds of London" and other speciality line companies that would do things the average company wouldn't or couldn't do.
But you know something? Like Michel we knew we couldn't just market that whole darn thing. We could sell almost everything under the sun, but we needed to specialize!
Early in my career I specialized in Commercial and Small Business insurance. That was my niche.. that didn't mean I didn't sell anything else. In fact, I still handled other business and cross-selled other insurance to my business clients (always tried to get ALL their business).
But I was the 'go to' guy for the business insurance end of things.. or so that's what I strove for.
Later on in my career, after I had left that agency partnership, I changed that and focused on just Life Insurance. And note! Not just any life insurance; I had that segmented too. Again, this type of life insurance was my focus. It brought in the clients through word of mouth and other efforts and I could still cross-sold them other things (or I referred business I couldn't or didn't want to do to other agencies who in turn referred business back to me...).
Always finding my niche and focusing on a segment of my market.
Same thing after my insurance career for the few years I got into the Construction/Painting industry. I had to find my 'niche'. I identified the market I wanted to go after, tuned my services to it... and specialized. Out of that came other types of larger projects because once I built a relationship I could again -- Cross-Sell other things.
Back to the Online Realm...
For a few years I tried to do too much and teach too much... a few years back I decided I needed to 'specialize' online too. So I focused on becoming the "Niche Marketing" guy. And I focused on my skills and teaching "Search Marketing" primarily. Those are my primary focuses and it's my continued hope that individuals continue recognize that and continue to recommend my memberships and services because of it.
That doesn't mean I don't teach some other things, but those are what I'm primarily known for and people turn to me for. And yes, like Michel, they seek me out.
It's the same way in the Non-IM niches I focus on; I carved my niche, positioned myself and do well.
When you become a perceived expert and authority in your niche, it gets easier! You don't have to work so hard at link building because links become more natural. People want to link to high quality content from perceived experts and authorities. Just like what Michel said above, "...caused high quality prospects to come to me instead of the other way around". So will link love!
Business and sales (affiliate or your own products) become easier when people trust you and perceive you as a specialized authority in a defined segment and niche.
These are the things my product, Niche Authority, revolves around. Making your business more profitable by specializing and becoming the 'Go to' guy or gal in a particular niche. Dominating it!
Carve your niches; specialize! You'll likely see a major, positive, impact on the money that finds your bank account.
-Matt Levenhagen
