Finally decided to take the plunge

[Airik]

Hello everyone.

I guess this is an introduction / question in one post.
Quick background information on me.
I've been studying and reading about affiliate marketing for about 1 and 1/2 years now. I wouldn't call myself a complete newb but I have never set up and established a presence in the affiliate marketing world. I'm pretty much filled with information but so far have not been able to put it to good use. I am facing two problems currently that has just stumped me to no end and I fill like it is time for me to just ask for help instead of struggling to find my own answer.

I know the type of marketing I would like to do. I'd like to promote some form of informational product using email marketing which I plan to promote via articles and "bum marketing" until I have some profit to reinvest into some PPC or other form of advertising. However, I cannot for the life of me find two core pieces of information that would set my whole idea in to motion.

Firstly, finding a niche market is extremely tough for me. Especially something I am actually interested in. I've read all the stickies regarding how to find a niche market and many of the posts relating to the same exact question. However, I am unable to break it down into an "equation" if you will. Not to say that I haven't found a few markets I believe to be viable, because I do believe I have ( which leads me to my second problem ), but I am unable to find a niche that I am mildly interested in that isn't A) Over saturated or over competitive B ) Or is not profitable. Basically what my problem is, is that I cannot for the life of me break down finding a profitable market in to some kind of process that works for me.

Now, my second problem basically has stumped me and repeats the same process over and over again. I finally get to do some real in-depth market research. It may take me a LONG while to settle on market to get in to but when I finally think that I have found something worth getting in to there are hardly any DECENT products to promote. Especially if I want to keep with my email marketing plan. I'll need plenty of GOOD SOLID products to promote as back end products but unfortunately there are basically no products that are worth advertising.

I've read many reports, articles, e-books, watched videos, you name it on finding a niche and they make it seem so easy. Go to click bank - click on a category I want to promote - look at products - promote. Clickbank seems pretty useless in the product department because many of the products aren't worth sending out to an email list they are all pretty much rehashed garbage or I just have too high of standards. Or use Google Keyword or Wordtracker with a broad term I'm interested in and keep narrowing it down until I find a "niche". I've tried all these techniques... I'm just unable to do it. Or maybe I'm just too picky as to what people want. I've seen people use Google Trends, Ebay, Directories, eHow, Wikihow, Yahoo Answers, Search100, Aol Top Search, etc all kinds of different ways to find a niche marketing but I just can't seem to do it myself.... and again like I said even if I did find a niche to dig into... there just isn't enough outstanding products out there to provide to an email list.

Whew! Now that took a load off. I've honestly felt over stressed and hopeless because like I said I know what I'd like to do but I am unable to find the two key components that will let me do what I'd like to do. Pretty much I feel like I'm in front of a HUGE brick wall and I'm unable to bypass it... and since I can't do it myself I was hoping for some help.

Sorry for such a long post, but I've spent 1 and 1/2 years of my life trying to understand the business and I feel as if I'm putting that 1 and 1/2 years to waste being unable to do these two things.

Thank you for these amazing forums they have helped a lot!
Maybe they can help me finally get on my way.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Airik,

Well it sure sounds like you've done your homework! Seems like you are in a bit of a catch 22 and with a case of analysis paralysis thrown in too.

1st off if you are committed to doing info products, a lot of it is "pretty much rehashed garbage" like you said.

Secondly I think the email marketing and needing additional back end products to sell is messing you up.

Lastly after 1 1/2 years I think it's really important for you to just get off the dime and get started. You know lots of what you need to know, it's time to just start doing it. It does not have to be perfect, you just need to take - call it a 1st step in the process.

So if I were you, I would pick your 5 best niche ideas. Work them sideways and backwards til you come up with 1 niche. Maybe you can't find one you are super passionate about, maybe you find one you are interested in learning more about.

After you find the niche find A product. ONE!
(Just to get you off the dime and get you started)

Build a site. Start writing articles, not just about the product but about the niche and things people in that niche would be interested in. Start doing marketing.

As you do all this you are learning by DOING. It will be great experience. You'll make mistakes and THAT'S the best way to learn. But you can't have the opportunity of learning and growing unless you start taking action.

In the process of doing you'll gain confidence and learn more and eventually that great niche will hit you. Maybe by then a different style of marketing will start to sound better to you and you end up doing it. With persistence, ACTION and effort, it will eventually come together.

But it's time to start!

Pick 5…

Narrow it down to 1...

GO!

 

[Airik]

Incredibly fast and awesome reply! Haha. It's another late night here at my house trying to find niche ideas and products and what not so I guess I wasn't expecting a reply till tomorrow. But any who! Thank you for the reply and I'll write a short follow up before I get some sleep.

Hi Airik,

Well it sure sounds like you've done your homework! Seems like you are in a bit of a catch 22 and with a case of analysis paralysis thrown in too.

1st off if you are committed to doing info products, a lot of it is "pretty much rehashed garbage" like you said.

The reason I came to the conclusion that info products are what I'd like to promote is because of the following:
They are easy to produce
They seem to sell well with higher commission rates compared to "tangible" products.
They appear to be the best investment ex: I could either outsource or write myself an eBook quicker than I could make a piece of software or again a "tangible" item.
A lot easier to get an "impulse buy" because I can INSTANTLY send an ebook over or info product over the internet.
Generally most people are looking for INFORMATION on the internet whether it is a review, guide, tip, advice etc.

There are few if any products or services that are like Info Products, but maybe you are right. Maybe I should try something else. However, as of now I can't really seem to think off the top of my head what would work but maybe I can get back to you tomorrow.

Secondly I think the email marketing and needing additional back end products to sell is messing you up.

How so? If for example I make a front end sell off some kind of product and capture a name and email address it would more than likely be much easier to sell a product to an already existing costumer. So if I have some kind of back end product that I can follow up with then I would be able to get 2, 3, 4+ sells if I continue to provide good solid information and build a nice little relationship with my costumes. Maybe I am missing the point... it is getting late after all

Lastly after 1 1/2 years I think it's really important for you to just get off the dime and get started. You know lots of what you need to know, it's time to just start doing it. It does not have to be perfect, you just need to take - call it a 1st step in the process.

So if I were you, I would pick your 5 best niche ideas. Work them sideways and backwards til you come up with 1 niche. Maybe you can't find one you are super passionate about, maybe you find one you are interested in learning more about.

After you find the niche find A product. ONE!
(Just to get you off the dime and get you started)

Build a site. Start writing articles, not just about the product but about the niche and things people in that niche would be interested in. Start doing marketing.

As you do all this you are learning by DOING. It will be great experience. You'll make mistakes and THAT'S the best way to learn. But you can't have the opportunity of learning and growing unless you start taking action.

In the process of doing you'll gain confidence and learn more and eventually that great niche will hit you. Maybe by then a different style of marketing will start to sound better to you and you end up doing it. With persistence, ACTION and effort, it will eventually come together.

But it's time to start!

Pick 5?

Narrow it down to 1...

GO!

Well I have two niche markets that I have gotten into but stopped because of the whole "unable to find a good products problem" however, what kinda stood out to me is that you said maybe I could find a new style of marketing. Over the past year and a half one key thing kept reoccurring in a majority of the reports, articles, e-books, and videos and that is to build a "list" in order to make repeating sells to. I know there are other ways to market such as using Web 2.0 or PCA but I guess email marketing just seemed to stick with the majority of what I read. It kind of just made sense to me that having a highly targeted email list that I could send content emails and an occasional promotional email ( done the right way ) would be quicker than making a website and hoping to get in the top 10 pages of Google, or any other way.

Well thank you for the quick reply. I'll be up bright and early tomorrow to recheck for any more replies. I plan on getting things going soon... but now email marketing seems to be kind of a dud along with info products...haha. I guess I'm just going about things in all the wrong ways!

 

[Jiyoui]

Kinda some thoughts that I was running through my head all day that might be of some use, no promises though, my head is usually filled with junk anyways.

As you said before, you're having hard time finding a product that you truly believe in. This, as it turns out, has become a wall for us as well. As you may have read already, to truly excel, you have to believe in the product, otherwise you'll never reap its full potential. As much as this is a problem, don't give up on finding it.

Just as Linda said, there's no substitute for doing. You might hit an epiphany while you're working that changes your whole mindset. Get to it!

Watch Oprah.

 

[Airik]

Kinda some thoughts that I was running through my head all day that might be of some use, no promises though, my head is usually filled with junk anyways.

As you said before, you're having hard time finding a product that you truly believe in. This, as it turns out, has become a wall for us as well. As you may have read already, to truly excel, you have to believe in the product, otherwise you'll never reap its full potential. As much as this is a problem, don't give up on finding it.

Just as Linda said, there's no substitute for doing. You might hit an epiphany while you're working that changes your whole mindset. Get to it!

Watch Oprah.

Any thoughts are worth listening to in my book!

Well today I've decided to read up on some other ways to market products and try to compare / contrast the benefits towards my primary goal of email marketing and see if there is something even better or something I'm more interested in.

Haha I watch Oprah for market trends! She has her own "Best Selling Book" section on Amazon as a category! So obviously her words have a lot of weight in the book industry. Maybe that is something to look into! Who knows! I'll definitely check back here throughout the day if anyone has any suggestions on something other than email marketing info products.

Hopefully today will be the day I get the ball rolling!

 

[Jiyoui]

Obviously, my biggest worry for you is the CAN-SPAM laws that apply to email marketing.

Even if they opted-in, some people can be quite.... unreasonable. Just because you're working through a network, you will still be liable should a lawsuit come flying your way.

Then again, even if you do other forms of marketing, there's always ways that they can get to you.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Airik]

Obviously, my biggest worry for you is the CAN-SPAM laws that apply to email marketing.

Even if they opted-in, some people can be quite.... unreasonable. Just because you're working through a network, you will still be liable should a lawsuit come flying your way.

Then again, even if you do other forms of marketing, there's always ways that they can get to you.

Best of luck to you.

Agreed. However, the auto-responder I had planned on using is in compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act and has taken the precautions to ensure that there wont be "unreasonable people" but of course there are always a few that slip through the cracks.

I had just started further looking into Drop Shipping as something I could get into. I've read a lot about it in my earlier educational days, but I didn't get too far into reintroducing myself to this technique when I got an email from my Professor with three assignments due tomorrow and shortly after a call from my work asking me to come in tonight. So my efforts have come to yet another halt.

But again, thank you for the replies I have taken all of them into consideration and will definitely update with any progress and try to help others in similar situations.

Best wishes!
Hopefully tomorrow will be a less hectic day.