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Barbara Casey's NICHE NEWS
Marketing Ezine
(now Messages from the Soapbox)
Vol 5, No 5 -
February 3, 2006
Carrying the Niche Marketing Crusade to Home Business Owners with a Dream
In This Issue:
- Help
Stamp Out Soggy Cereal Syndrome by Barbara Casey
- How I Identified My Target Market by Sue Koch
- Website Tips from Joanne Marcinek
- Here Are Niche Business Ideas to Check Out
~ Help Stamp Out Soggy Cereal Syndrome ~
by Barbara Casey
On my Ryze niche marketing network (now closed) - we had a discussion
thread called "Should Network Marketers Niche?"
As a niche marketing coach, of course I think ALL home business owners would do
better with a clearly defined niche, because it's so much easier to understand
who your customers are - and when you know that, you can more easily figure out
where to find them.
You're not marketing all over the place, hoping someone will call you. You're
marketing your products and services to people who actually need them, want
them, and can pay for them. That's what a niche is all about.
One of my Ryze network members was a Tupperware rep and after visiting her T-ware
company-sponsored website, I immediately went into * high niche mode * and came
up with some out-of-the-box niches that would be fun to implement, and that
would differentiate her from the thousands of other Tupperware reps out there.
You know those big cereal containers Tupperware has? Being in Florida with all
the heat and humidity, I figured someone should create a "Queen of Fresh
Cereals" niche and start a campaign to help stamp out Soggy Cereal Syndrome.
You could make t-shirts for everyone who comes to your home party advertising
your anti-soggy cereal campaign.
Think this could get media attention?
You bet, especially if a by-product of the campaign is helping downsized
workers, retirees or work at home moms create an income by starting their own
Tupperware home party business.
Just make sure your downline members are creative with their own niches.
My "extreme" niche antennae kept twitching, pulling in more ideas for
Tupperware niche markets: the sippy cup brigade against sticky floors, the
hurricane helpers (put your food and papers in airtight Tupperware during h'cane
season, a retro niche (attendees dress in black and white, like the old TVs).
You see how easy it is to have fun with a business niche, once you open up to
the idea?
And finding your target market gets easier with a niche, too. Soggy cereal is a
problem in the south. Sippy cups are needed by most moms with toddlers. Give new
meaning to the concept of "hurricane party" by selling food containers you can
take when you have to evacuate.
The trick, though, is to position your OWN niche above the network marketing
company.
You'll notice I didn't say "Queen of Tupperware Containers." You might even find
other resources to sell in your fresh cereal campaign that aren't made by
Tupperware. It IS your business, after all, and as long as you follow the rules
of your organization, you can create your business the way you'd like it to be.
It's a lot more efficient to sell your products and services to people who are
pre-disposed to buy from you because you're offering something they are
interested in. And may have an urgent need for.
That's niche marketing. Being there when you're needed.
Are you marketing your products and services to the right people? Let me help
you identify and find the audience who wants what you're offering.
My number is 727-397-2702. Soul Niches are my specialty.
Learn more about Soul Niches:
www.newradiance.com/barbaracasey.htm
~ How I Identified My Target Market ~
by Sue Koch
(This guest article is by Sue Koch whose coaching niche is designing exit
strategies for corporate rats. Sue's business is a model of an "extreme niche,"
with a clear marketing message and target audience. You'll notice that even
though the niche is "extreme" the potential clientele number in the millions.)
My coaching practice began at a time when unemployment was very high and many
people were in career transition. Experienced, highly paid people seemed to be
down-sized out of long term jobs at an alarming rate. I knew a lot about that
because I was one of those people and I wanted to help myself by helping others
in similar situations.
When I started my coaching practice, I made the mistake of thinking that
everyone experiencing transition was in my target market. I focused on the topic
of my coaching practice rather than considering who I wanted to coach or where
my knowledge and skill could make the most difference while at the same time
bringing me the greatest joy.
The current job market is extremely volatile with the average corporate job now
lasting an average of three to five years. As a result, many Americans will be
caught between jobs several times over the course of their careers. Such between
times are financially and emotionally stressful on unemployed people and their
families. It also takes an emotional toll on people who feel tossed aside after
years of dedicated service.
I wondered how I could help corporate employees take back control of their lives
amidst such uncertainty. How could I help them generate more choices for how
they contribute their valuable time, energy, gifts, skills and abilities? How
could I help them work to live and love it, rather than living to work and
hating it? How could I help them create more than one source of income without
having to work longer or harder and burning out?
My answer came as I worked with a particular client who was in career
transition. She had been down-sized out of her corporate job after ten years of
successful advancement. She was exhausted and disillusioned and not interested
in returning to a corporate job, but she didn’t see any other way.
Through coaching, we identified what she loved, what her purpose is, and ways
she could get what she really wanted, and we designed a 5-year plan for her to
get it. The plan included returning to a corporate job long enough to finance
her dream. Suddenly a corporate job that seemed like a burden became an
opportunity and a means to an end as a funding source. Her apathy disappeared
and she was energized to take action. Within four weeks she secured a wonderful
position in a great company. She and a friend started a small side business
selling a product they love and believe in. She began working with a financial
planner who is assisting her to achieve her financial goal.
My light bulb moment came when I felt my excitement grow as my client and I
developed a design for her career and life in a way that supports her dreams,
goals and personal vision. I realized I had found my passion and I could hardly
wait to help other “corporate rats” get out of the rat race. From there, I
worked with a marketing coach to create my tag line and sales letter.
In summary, I found my target market by asking myself and answering the
following questions as I worked with my clients:
1. Who do I want to serve with my service or product?
2. How do I want to make a difference with my service or product?
3. What excites or inspires me about my service or product?
4. What is unique about my service or product?
5. Aside from being profitable, what results do I want to achieve
with my service or product?
~~~~~
Sue Koch is a Career and Life Design Coach who, after being down-sized from a
major corporation, chose to create her life differently. For the past several
years, she has coached hundreds of people to pursue their highest and best
dreams. Sue works with people who are ready to leave the corporate rat race by
creating a more integrated lifestyle. She’ll “help you get out of the race you
are in, and into a race you can win.” Contact Sue at mailto:sue@accesstheedge.com.
Here's the link for Sue's Corporate Rats website:
www.corporaterats.com
~ Website Tips from Joanne Marcinek ~
Submit your website to local directories to improve search engine rankings.
The number of website links to your site from other sites (inbound links) is an
important factor for search engine rankings. It is one of the primary ways the
search engines determine how important your site is. Getting your site listed in
local directories is an easy way to boost your inbound links.
After submitting your site to Google:
http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl,
Yahoo:
http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request,
MSN:
http://beta.search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx?FORM=WSUT, and the Open
Directory Project: http://www.dmoz.org, the
most effective way to get more inbound links is to submit your site to state and
local business directories. Many of these are free-submit sites for businesses
that are located in the state or region.
To locate your state business directories, search your favorite search engine
for your state or city name plus the word directory or business directory, (eg.
Connecticut Business Directory). The first few results may be sites with paid
listings, some may require a reciprocal link, but others are completely free
submit sites.
My method is to start with the free submits, wait a few months, and then decide
about submitting to reciprocal link sites or a few pay-submit directories.
~~~~~
Joanne Marcinek of Ask Joanne, LLC is a woman with a mission. Her passion is
helping people get the information they need on the Internet. Joanne’s expertise
is translating techno-babble into straightforward, easy-to-understand language.
Ask Joanne, LLC can help you get your first website, upgrade your existing site
and implement a complete, frugal and effective Internet marketing plan.
Click here to visit Joanne's website for more information:
www.askjoanne.com
~ Here Are Niche Business Ideas to Check Out ~
Could you use a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing? Check out these
ideas and actual examples of home based business niches.
Click here for work at home business niche ideas.
~~~~~
Copyright 2006 Barbara Casey ~ 727-397-2702
New Radiance Corp., PO Box 86674, St. Petersburg FL 33738
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