Mark Nash asked:




Ask yourself this question: “Before you were in real estate sales, how many of those flyers, newsletters, recipe cards, and even calendars that you received from an real estate agent “farming” your household went straight into your wastebasket?” Studies indicate that return on direct mail advertising is somewhere below two percent. Wouldn’t it make more sense to direct all that time, energy, and money formerly spent on developing a geographic farm into building relationships or a niche with potential clients? Now ask yourself: “How many other agents in your community are also marketing to the same geographical farm that you do?”

So with your farm saturated and “Do Not Call” what’s an agent to do? Consider niche or target marketing also known as relationship selling. Niche marketing was the success story of consumer products advertising in the 1990′s. Consumer product manufacturers realized that generalized marketing was expensive and was not generating response or sales because they were attempting to reach too broad a market. Targeting specific groups or niches and building a relationship with them brought manufacturers increased sales from a more focused message to a group that has shared goals, beliefs, or history. The message wasn’t “buy now” it was “we understand you have specific needs and we want to build a relationship with you”.

This new marketing strategy paid off because manufacturers took the time to study and survey their potential consumers on how they developed an affinity for a product or service. You can utilize their results in developing a niche in your real estate business. First you must have a sincere belief and interest in the niche. Second you have to give back to the niche with your time or financial support. Some examples of niches are: community interest, political and professional organizations, spiritual, intramural sports, and gender. Let’s look at how we take one of these niches and develop a more focused sub-niche to market to.

Original niche: Gender

Sub-niche: Women

Sub-sub niche: Women single heads of household

Sub-sub niche: Women single heads of households who are first time buyers

Sub-sub niche: Women single heads of households who are first time buyers in Deerfield

Finding women single heads of households who are first time homebuyers in Deerfield would start with an Internet search in a search engine such as Goggle. Inquire about support groups at the library, social services or village hall. Day care centers and park districts could also provide you with resources. This is an under-served niche from my own experience. A referral client Renee never thought she could afford to buy a home as a single head of household. She cried the day she closed on her own home after conditioning herself that she would be a life-long renter. She went to her single mothers support group and shared her home buying story. Other single mothers from her support
group are calling to begin their home searches. A mortgage broker and myself have proposed to sponsor and host a quarterly home-buying seminar for Renee’s group.

The professional and personal rewards from having a niche in my real estate business makes my geographic farm look like finding needles in a haystack.

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Brian McClelland asked:




To be successful in niche marketing and from that to be able to make money on-line you must learn about search engines and how pages are ranked. I do not expect anyone to become a search engine guru, unless that is what you want to become, however you must understand how to find long term keywords that have the greatest number of searches but with the least number of competing pages. Long term keywords are the best way to get good rankings on the search engines.

I am assuming that you are not completely new to Internet Marketing and that you understand what I mean when I talk about niche marketing. Niche marketing is one of the most profitable marketing areas on the internet, however to be successful in niche marketing you will need to do your research and find the best keywords to get your pages ranked highly by the search engines which will enable you to sell products.

People will tell you that to get into niche marketing, you build a blog or a website, visitors come to your website, buy your products and you pick up the income. That is true once you have put in the preparatory work including using you brain to root out the best keywords for your product. To do this you firstly need to think like your customer. If you were a potential customer within your niche what would you be searching for and what search phrases would you use. This is exactly what your potential customers will do.

You need to come up with as many key words or search phrases that your customer may use. The most high ranking keywords are called long-tailed keywords, these are keywords containing at least three or more words, hence the name long-tailed keywords. Long tailed keywords tend to bring in the most targeted traffic, since they are very specific to the niche you are marketing in. To be successful you should think up a list of 10 long tailed keywords for your campaign.

Once you have identified your 10 long tailed keywords you then need to test them to ensure they are profitable and to find out how many competing pages you will encounter with these keywords. You need to take each long tailed keyword, enclose them in quotation marks and then type them into a search engine. If there are paid adverts on the search page and the results that come back are less than 10,000 then you have selected good keywords that will generate a profitable campaign for you.

If the results returned are more than 10,000 then you are going into a very competitive area and you are better going back to your keyword selection to find these long tailed keywords with less competition. Again, if there aren’t any paid ads on the search page then the chances are that these are not profitable keywords and you should discard them and research different keywords.

Do your keyword research up front and you will increase the chances of selling into a niche and making the money that brought you into niche marketing to start with.

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Jon P Fox asked:




Internet marketers have been seeing this for many years now, it’s mentioned and discussed in many eBooks, reports, and other forms of communicating with a target market. It’s called niche marketing.

Ok, now right here is where you expect me to go into “what is niche marketing?” and then write a bunch of sentences explaining what it is, I mean; that so has been done! Every time I read an article on any given subject, more than not, they throw a bunch of “what is” at you on that subject. I’m going to take a chance and not assume that people are complete idiots and just get going here as we all know what niche marketing is:)

If it is not a popular niche than you could be watching your ad money go out with hardly any sales coming in, or conversions. Marketers need to know what is a hot seller and especially if you are in your beginning stages of making a living with marketing, failure to convert from your ads could shut you out at least until you get more money from another source, then when you try again it will likely shut you out again, especially ppc campaigns, that is unless you can come back and find a niche this time.

That’s how important it is to target a hot moving niche and niche product. but of course you have to find one. I read a lot and get great advice from people that when you go to sell something make sure you know a lot about it, something that you yourself are great at but there is only one thing wrong with that, knowing a lot about flowers and their scientific names and native origins, and how they thrive wont necessarily fetch a good profit from your campaign.

You still set yourself up to fail and loose ad money when all along you could have been making a killing on the niche market “Skate Boards and Accessories”, or something like that. Hey you can always do the research and learn more about skate boards as you go and be earning along the way because it sells and the thing you know all about doesn’t, or at least not as good.

Here are a few great ways to find a niche.

1) Check out Amazon.com for the latest and most popular top ten subjects.

2) While you are at Amazon find out what are the most read magazines and then pick them up. The most read books and magazines will help you see what people want the most and when they want it.

3) Use of keyword research tools like Word Tracker, Google, and SEO Book can help find that niche by narrowing down the most popular keywords that were searched just last month, this can be a big help.

But there is one great way to find a popular hot converting niches that are not only very profitable but barely tapped into: The Micro Niche Finder.

Micro Niche Finder is a new software that will expose hot niches that are untapped and overlooked by the top marketers giving the user of this software a huge advantage so you can dominate a niche market weather you know all about that subject or not.

Go See Micro Niche Finder

We wont go into all the benefits of this software here but it is complete with the training you will want and many other bonus books that can get you earning fast, using the new niche marketing tool. Never just promote any product, it’s your money, don’t just hand it over to Google and get nothing, by biting the bullet and going ahead and using a tool like Micro Niche Finder you will be making a well planned seasoned pro out of yourself. The plan and the niche are key.

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Tara Jacobsen asked:




Because of the challenges involved in today’s tough real estate market, more and more realtors are leaving the business. This exodus is causing an unprecedented opportunity for those realtors skilled at marketing to move forward in gaining large amounts of market share! The simplest way to focus your marketing efforts is to select a niche and focus on that group. Here are some niches that you may want to consider:

A Farm – This is the easiest niche for most agents to understand. A farm can be a subdivision, an area like waterfront homes on a certain street or even a county if it is small. Some great ways to start to become an expert in an area are to visit all the homes currently listed for sale in the neighborhood, visit all the FSBO’s who currently have their homes available, and offer to do open houses for agents who have current listings. Let the FSBO’s know when you are going to have your house open so you can coordinate with them to have theirs open also. Send postcards to the homeowners and also start a neighborhood newsletter giving sales information and relevant neighborhood info.

First Time Homebuyers – These are people who need the expertise and connections that a realtor can provide. To reach these buyers you can send postcards or walk apartment complexes, renters make great first time homebuyers! Offer to hold “lunch and learns” to large area employers who have younger workforces that need to find housing solutions. You can partner with the affordable housing government agencies in your area, finding out the requirements for buyers to qualify. Offer to send them “hot” listings that are in great shape and meet the pricing requirements of their programs. Make sure you preview and hold open all the houses in these price ranges that you can get your hands on so that you can know the ones that will be worth taking your clients to!

Luxury Home Buyers and Sellers – This one can feel like a farm but it is a little different. Targeting high end buyers and sellers will result in larger commissions AND larger expenses! Make sure your marketing materials are professionally designed to appeal to people in a top tier demographic. Target international buyers by displaying high end properties on your website and blog (if you do not have your own listings “borrow” some from the other agents in your office after asking for permission). Make sure you list information about marinas, yacht clubs, tennis clubs, country clubs and golf courses on your website. If there are high end retail areas in your market list those shops and also any five star restaurants that may be nearby. Join the local country club and support the regional arts councils.

Baby Boomers – If you live in a warm climate this group is for you! Find out all the retirement and 55+ communities in your area and list them on your website or blog. Become familiar with the restrictions of the different communities (some allow pets, some don’t, some allow one person to be under 55, some require everyone to be over 62). Advertise in the senior magazines in your area, focusing on your expertise as a benefit to finding the perfect retirement home. Have a group of vendors that you can recommend if they need property management services while they go north for the summer or visit family for extended periods of time.

Those are just four of thousands of different niches you could choose! Whether you like boating or golfing, like working with buyers or sellers, love children or dogs, there is a niche for someone like you. Pick something today and focus on it with all your energy and you will be able to capture more of the market than you ever thought possible!

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Fred Lotgering asked:




Niche Marketing means buying or selling a product or service in a special area of demand. With expected record numbers of new Home Base Internet Businesses starting in 2009, a need for more exclusive products is needed. Niche Marketing will show your expertise in the Internet marketplace.

What is Niche Marketing? The word niche is defined as “a special area of demand for a product or service”. The word marketing is defined as “the opportunity to buy or sell”. If you put the two words together, Niche Marketing means buying or selling a product or service in a special area of demand.

Why Niche Marketing in 2009? Because it makes sense! The competition to sell common products is very crowded and competitive. With expected record numbers of new home base internet businesses starting in 2009, a need for more exclusive products is needed. The Internet Marketing niche, by itself, is becoming very crowded and competitive. It’s the turf of marketing gurus and every time a guru launches a new product, no new Internet Marketers could have a chance in winning.

The Trend is towards more demand for expertise Niches. Having no expertise is where most novice marketers often fail. But if you can analyze a profitable market niche and if you can combine that with your own passion or expertise, then you have a good chance to be successful!

Search the web to get answers on following common questions. How to build a highly profitable business around your passion, hobby or expertise? How to identify if there’s a high demand for your expertise in the Internet marketplace? There is Niche Marketing software out there that can help you learn these things about your potential niche market. Niche Marketing is not about focusing on the big picture; it is about focusing on the small picture and the smaller the better. Visit forums and taking note of what people are most concerned about. You can then search the Internet for products and services that will help them solve those problems. Gather the information about the topic. Analyze the competition. Take the time and put forth the effort to look at the product or service that your competitors are offering. Identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Look around for current trends. Visit Your Local Bookstore. By identifying the hot market books that are being sold in bookshops, you can identify a hot niche marketing topic. You should particularly note the ones that are self-help or how to books. There is a market for every kind of informational product. Finding out what books people are most often buying can give you some insight into what the hot market subjects are. Armed with this information, you can go about creating a niche marketing website that will have a better chance of becoming successful.

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Paul Perren asked:




There are so many reasons today to try out niche marketing, but before you can decide if it is for you, it is best to know just what it means. A definition of niche marketing is the same as a specialized market. A specialized market is when a producer tailors a limited range of products to be sold to a very specific group of consumers. The advantages to niche marketing are clear. One true benefit is when you focus your business through niche marketing; you will make your work more enjoyable. Working seems more like playing when you focus on something you love doing for people you enjoy working for. If you would almost be willing to do the work you are marketing for free, then you have truly found a worthy niche.

Having a true niche will also build your confidence, both in your marketing strategies and in your business in general. If you love doing the work, it is probably something you have been educated or trained to do. Finding that niche will help you to perfect your skills. With those perfected skills, you will be able to sell yourself and your services in a positive way to your prospective customers through niche marketing. Marketing to a particular niche will also make you more credible to prospective clients. If you are a small business, those hiring you for your services would rather have someone who is a specialist in their field as opposed to a “generalist”. Even though customers go looking for someone who is affordable, they are also looking for someone who can do an excellent job for their money. Okay doesn’t cut it…so focusing on a specific niche will help you find customers. Once you have found a niche, your name will circulate around to prospective clients more quickly, as well. If you focus your marketing on a specific clientele, those customers will be more likely to remember you and your products and services. If you hook them in and get their initial business (and do a credible job), repeat customers and referrals may start coming your way.

Another big benefit to niche marketing comes when you look at your “bottom line”. When you market to a particular niche, you will inevitably reduce your marketing costs. You will be targeting a specific group when you market your goods and services, so you won’t have to have big, generalized ads that can cost you a fortune. This means a higher income for you when you work with niche marketing. Not only will your marketing strategies find those persons who could use what you are selling, but you can also ask for higher fees since you are a “specialist” in your field. You will be worth that cost when you complete your clients’ tasks quickly, efficiently and with professionalism. The last benefits to finding a niche and marketing to it is that you become a distinctive service, which may cut down on the competition of other companies doing the same services as you. Others may try to follow in your business idea, but you can always state that you were the original. Plus, if it was your niche first, you will probably have a significant part of the market using your services already! Also, by cutting down on the competition, other companies doing other specialized services may refer business to you! So, as you can see, there are many advantages to niche marketing. Find a specialized skill and tailor your whole business around it.

Copyright 2006 Paul Perren

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