This is the $600 Billion question: How to find that little space online that’s going to make you money?
There’s no sure fire formula, but there are ingredients that are required to be present if you’re cooking up success: information and a place for that information to be found.
Information, both trivial and serious, is the reason the internet has become so popular. Think about it; you want to know something, or more recently, how to do something, so you Google it. The “How To”, niche has grown in the last couple of years with YouTube channels and blogs appearing everywhere on diverse subjects from cooking to fixing sports cars. The point with this type of information is that if you have it and can present it in an accessible way – through video, or as a written blog – you have a subject, a niche, you could even call it a product.But your niche may not necessarily be the information itself; it may be the place where the information is found. Two very successful examples of this are The Huffington Post, a news and content aggregation site started by Arianna Huffington and the most famous one of all, Facebook. Both sites created a frame-work and allowed others to fill that frame-work with searchable content. Then you and I come along looking for some information, we search and along with the information we seek on these platforms, are advertised to.
The internet thrives on personality. Some of the most successful internet entrepreneurs have made it because they’ve married a great idea with their own personal take on it. Here are two case studies.
The Product: Mike Change’s Sixpack Shortcuts
Mike Change is a personal trainer from Austin Texas. Several years ago, he worked for a corporation and was really overweight. He started working out and learning about nutrition. Concerned that he wasn’t eating enough of the right foods, he designed his own eating system that allowed him to continue living up to the demands of his job, but also meant that he got all the proper nutrition so he didn’t need to eat junk food. Mike lost his belly, quit his job and began to train others.
After a few years of this, Mike decided he wanted to expand, so he created a program that would help people he’s never met get lean, mean and gorgeous. Through a series of videos, Mike shows people who want to look like him how to eat properly and how to workout correctly. Teaser videos are available free on YouTube, but those wanting the full package buy the program – the information – from sixpackshortcuts.com
Mike has sold tens of thousands of copies of his program and why? He personally takes you through the program – the nutrition, the workouts and the potential pitfalls – in a series of videos. He uses himself as an example of how a fat guy got lean. The overriding message is that if he can do it, you can do it too.
The Platform: Joel Gascoigne and Buffer App.
Joel is a Full Stack computer programmer and all-round start-up guy. Late last year he created Buffer App, which allows social media users to schedule their status updates and any content they want to share without unleashing a deluge of content – commonly known as spamming – at their followers in one go.
Buffer is a scheduling platform that allows its users to maintain a presence on their social media platforms all day long without manually updating, which when you’re a rising star, you don’t always have time to do. In an age when social engagement is so important for businesses, Buffer is a great solution. Full up your Buffer for the day or week and let it run while you do other important things. With a series of payment plans from Free to Premium, the Buffer Team are making money.
Joel is a genuine guy wanting to create genuine experiences, so what he also does is publish his warts-and-all journey in creating a start-up, which if you follow him, hasn’t been easy. Those using his product can see how it’s evolving, but also how its creators are evolving too. In a world where engagement is everything, Joel has created a platform that will share the information people are searching for.
The Ingredients
Information – A product, or a blog that offers useful information.
A place for information to be found – A website, essentially.
Personality – You don’t need to be ripping off your shirt to demonstrate whatever it is you want to share with the world, but you do need to be genuine. And if your information is coming across in the written form, you need a voice and some good grammar.
What It All Comes Down To
In a word Passion . What are you good at? What do you love? What do you want to share with the world?
Your keywords are critical to how well your blog ranks. They are what customers use to find your site. Choose the wrong keywords, or use them incorrectly, and your site won’t show up in the listings that your target customers are shown when they search. Make sure you do good keyword research, and then make sure you use them appropriately on your blog. Typically, keywords should be used in the title, the first 100 words of your blog post, and then ever 100 words throughout your post. Don’t use your keywords too often, or your page could be flagged as spam.
