Stay Away From The “Make Money Online Niche”
Written on November 22, 2011 by Garland Coulson
When beginners start out wanting to learn how to make money online, they often think that making money online means they have to be in the
“make money online” niche. So they buy tons of reports, success blueprints and “secret” formulas from Internet Marketing “Gurus” and then try to apply the principles to teach others how to make money online.
I can’t build a house. I am lousy with tools, unlike my father who was a carpenter. So why would I start offering myself as an expert on building houses when I KNOW I don’t have the skills? Similar, if someone is just starting out in Internet marketing, how could they possibly think they are qualified to teach others how to make money online?
Beginners are confusing learning how to make money online with the niche of selling products to people wanting to learn how to do the same thing. This creates a flood of “clone” newbies all trying to make money by selling affiliate products. This niche is incredibly hard for newbies to be successful at and is the worst possible choice for their first niche market.
You don’t make money by doing what everyone else is doing. So what should you do instead?
One woman I coach was trying to get started in the Internet marketing field with a private label rights product. During our session, I found out she was a nurse with 20 years in the health field. Health was her passion and she had a ton of medical knowledge.
With the rising age of baby boomers, health is a trillion dollar industry! And she had mistakenly thought her nursing skills were useless online and went into the Internet marketing field…
I helped her realize that the health market had MUCH higher potential for her if she could learn to apply Internet marketing principles to the health field.
So what is YOUR niche? Start by looking at what your own gifts are. What are you good at? What are you passionate about? What skills do you have that others need? Exploring your own gifts, hobbies and passions will likely find you your profitable niche. Then you can identify their needs and start developing or finding products to help people in this community.
Here are some ideas of how to turn a skill, hobby or passion into an online business.
- If you are good at writing, you could be an author, copywriter, blogger or content developer for the web.
- Amazing with animals? Offer training videos, DVDs, books, ebooks and online training sessions.
- Love making music? Offer your songs online, teach music students by Skype, license your music to TV shows, movies or web sites.
- Social butterfly? Create an online community. Make money by advertising, product reviews, or membership fees.
- Best bargain shopper ever? Write an ebook. Provide a “thrifty tip of the day.” Become a speaker teaching others your tricks.
- Fast typer? Offer data entry or transcription services online.
- Good at marketing? Become a marketing consultant, speaker, or trainer. Create books, ebooks, DVDs.
As you can see, there are many possibilities for you. So don’t make the mistake so many others make of getting into the “make money” niche. Once you are successful online in your niche, you can still create “how-to” products teaching others how to market in your niche. For example you could have products like “Starting Your Own Health Business Online” or “Turn Your Love Of Pets Into An Amazing Online Business.”
You will have the credibility because you are already successful and you will have unique products instead of doing the same thing as everyone else.
So learn to be “uniquely you” instead of joining the “clone” wars. 
Related articles
- Why Niche Marketing Doesn’t Work (ebusinesstutor.com)
Garland Coulson. "The EBusiness Tutor" is an Internet Marketing Speaker, Internet Mentor and Entrepreneur who teaches beginners how to succeed online.
If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to our feed
Hi Garland,
Nice article, i really agree. It’s a challenging post, how to be “uniquely” me, but here is where the lessons needed! How that Nurse becomes successful internet marketer, may be is good lesson for readers.
Regards,
Achmad K W
Basically this is not a fault of a person who is jumping into money making arena … this is because they have a mindset of that kind.. every human who wants to make money get attracted towards lousy offers and above all they are desperate to make money. On the whole good informational article ..
Niche is very important and that is the first step people need to look at when deciding to jump into making money …
-Shaishav Sood
Hi Garland,
You said it. Trying to make money online is a business and that requires a business plan and the product you are marketing. Online there are “gurus” who seem to be everywhere and selling everything you must have in order to succeed and make money fast. You just have to select the niche product you know best and you are able to become expert “the best” on the market. And start promoting according to the plan you made. And stick to the plan.
- Heikki Ahola
Retired business coach
I wish I would have read this article YEARS ago when I started out with internet marketing. It would have really saved me a lot of time and money. The fact is that starting out in the making money niche can actually turn one into the so-called “opportunity junkie”, in which I know plenty about. This article is the sole reason why there is so much money in micro niches, because only those with specific passions and know-how can participate and earn big! Thanks for the read and I hope the newbies that have read this take heed. Cheers!
Hi Garland,
Wow! What a fantastic article – and 100% correct. Like so many others, I did start out in the “make money online” niche which I had no knowledge of – naturally I did not make any money. It has taken me time, but I have learnt all the skills required to be successfull in the make money online niche.
If I had started my online career in the niche of mental health (depression) which I have over 20 years of experience in, I most surely would have been successful sooner.
I thank you for taking the time to write this article, which I suspect other internet marketers do not want the ugly truth getting out!
Kindest,
Libby Kalis
Nicely wriiten article, you are right finding a niche and stick with it. But you should definitely educate yourself and become a expert.
I agree with you in some respect. I also believe that a person has to learn how to optimize a website,learn about seo,find a good platform (WordPress) and find out how it all works. A person can make money online a hundred+++ ways. You just have to find what works…get a sale and then keep repeating that. Once you make a sale you can figure it out. The key is to keep going.
I’m a carpenter and remodeler by trade. I have a blog about it and upload content about what I’m doing, but I’m not making money at that site. Why, because it’s a niche that has way to much competition and it’s harder to get ranked.
I’m actually making money with little niche sites that give good info. about one subject…and I’m not a super- expert in those fields. All I did was find a niche that was new. That there was information on but scattered across the internet. I compiled the best information onto one site (with a targeted domain name) and wrote good content that will help the people that are searching.
Garland,
You made some very important points that ALL should listen to AND remember!
Most who decide to work on line will get taken many times before the lesson is sadly learned. I was lucky in the fact I started with a person who did not put the money factor up front and we are still friends today. We both run across different “hot deals” and will look BUT then we will get together and talk about them before going any further. Do we always agree – NO – but at least we each know what to expect and then we make our individual decisions. What we both have learned is that if a program is pushing too hard then it probably is not a good place to be.
As “newbies” start their on line ventures they will find a FEW people who actuallly want to help them – regardless of the money part. THOSE are the people you want to keep as friends. The “gurus” are a dime a dozen but friends are few and far between.
Thanks for your help,
Dennis Collar
I think you are talking to me cos I am a Nurse and I have been thinking of how I can use my knowledge to be successful online but I still cant figure out, pls I will need some guidance no matter how little just put me through.
thank you
Hi Garland,
This article is so dead on the money it’s scary! I myself am one who allowed myself to be subjected to the tidal wave of free reports and advice from the “gurus.” Eventually I realized that most of it was a bunch of mumbo jumbo and people were throwing various products out to the masses in the hopes that a potential customer would eventually bite. While reading Ryan Blair’s “Nothing to Lose Everything to Gain,” it dawned upon me just how important it is in the marketplace to project yourself with sincerity. When you do, customers will pick up on this and be inclined to want to do business with you. Of course it helps when you are promoting something that you are good at/passionate about and once you land your target audience, good things will start happening. I will post a link in my blog to have others read your outstanding post. Much Thanks!
Erik
Thank you. I couldn’t agree more.