Using A Niche to Get More Customers

Lesson Five: Using A Niche to Get More Customers

Do you know your niche? 

A niche is a specialized section of your field that can allow you to gain a higher share of a market, get more customers, and in turn, make more money.  Is it possible for you to carve a niche, to stand apart from others in your field?  Are you a follower or a leader? 

If you are a follower, then it is best that you stay the course, don't change a thing.  But if you are not happy with how things are going, you wish to earn more money, be even more successful, and get more customers through your doors, then change you must.

Leaders are not born, they are molded from years of hard work, failure, dusting off and getting back on the horse.  If you want to be a leader, and stand apart from the pack, you must develop your niche.

Developing your niche?

The best way to determine the niches that are available to you is to do an online search.  Developing a niche requires that you know your customers inside an out, and raising your prices to best reflect the niche, and how much more your customers are willing to pay.  An exemplary product can earn millions of more dollars than the run of the mill one from the dollar store.

Again, niches are not for everyone, but if you have the desire and drive to be better than the competition, then the niche is for you.

 

Lesson Four: The Big Secrets of Successful Advertising

 

Before you can know what any idea or thought is about, you must read it, see it, or hear it.  Think about the super bowl commercials this year, do you think that the advertisers got the reactions they wanted for the price they paid?  I do.  It's three days later, and most major newscasters are still talking about the commercials.  Sure, many of the commercials are on their way to being forgotten, but it is the job of an advertiser to make sure that doesn't happen.

The best way to create great and successful advertising is to study the advertisement that catches your attention by asking yourself a series of questions:

1.    What about the ad catches my attention?

2.    What colors are used?

3.    What words are used?

4.    What photographs or shots are used?

5.    Are there any words?

6.    Is there background music?

7.    Are the people famous?

8.    Are the people attractive?

9.    Are their animals? Are they loveable?

10. What contact information is used? If any.

If you are like me, your advertising budget is pretty much non-existent, but that doesn't mean that I can't advertise.  The best advertising is and always will be FREE advertising.  Word of mouth, viral videos, business cards; automotive banners made of copy paper are all free ways to advertise.

Once you can create effective free ways to advertise, half of the job is done.  Below is a list of some unique ways to advertise for free:

1.    Make a catchy tune or song about your product or venture and try to get free air time on a local radio station or online.

2.    Publish a desktop newsletter in your area and feature your product or venture on the front page.  You may also be able to sell advertising space.  Then leave the newsletters at local establishments so people can pick them up for free.

3.    Follow up with advertisers and see if they have free space.

4.    Write or create an advice column that you can advertise in and have your local newspaper publish for free.

5.    Write product reviews and put segways that point potential customers to your products or services.

6.    Use online forums to point potential customers to your products or services.

7.    Use your friends and family to spread the word.

8.    Use the back of your business cards to tell more about your product or services.

9.    Go to the flea market and hand out your business cards to everyone.

10. Copy, copy, copy!