FreedomRICH Business Basics (Part II): Is Your Niche Attracting Freebie Seekers or Prospects Who Are Ready to Buy?

February 4, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

A profitable niche has two important components:

1. It is “hot,” meaning there is interest in the topic.

And…

2. It attracts people who are ready to buy.

Most of us are investing our time marketing online to earn a living, not because there isn’t anything good on TV. And profitability begins with selecting a topic or a niche that’s got enough natural interest and traffic that you don’t have to spend tons of time (and money) to attract visitors and convert them into buyers.

Here’s now to find a profitable niche:

Step #1: Find a Popular Topic

Your first goal is to select a niche or market that is large enough to be profitable. It doesn’t have to be huge, but if there are only a handful of people interested in what you have to offer at any given time, your niche is most likely too small to support a business.

The funniest example of a niche that could be profitable but just isn’t popular enough is underwater basket weaving.

I can’t tell you for sure how many people spend their time submerged in the pool, creating baskets from reeds and willows. I’m pretty sure I could sell them an ebook on getting started, hawk some supplies (including scuba gear), and maybe even create a membership site where they could swap tales and weaving techniques. But since this is a pretty obscure topic, it just isn’t worth my time.

Okay, it’s a silly example so let’s look at a more realistic one. What about college-aged adopted children of multimillionaires from France. While this market “exists,” there wouldn’t be enough people in that situation at any given moment to make it worth the effort of addressing them. It would be much smarter to broaden the market slightly to adopted children of multimillionaires, or college-aged children of French multimillionaires.

Step #2 Attract Buyers Ready to Make a Purchase

After you’ve identified a niche with a decent amount of interest, the next step is to figure out if your target market includes people who are sitting at their computer with their wallets in their hands, ready to buy.

I have a colleague whose very first website was focused on crafts for kids. It included a ton of free craft projects that parents just loved. Traffic was good when the owner was actively promoting the site, BUT it was almost impossible to sell anything. She had traffic but wasn’t making any money.

The answer was simple: Moms and preschool teachers were heading to the site to grab free ideas for keeping their kids entertained for 15 or 20 minutes. But they weren’t coming to the site to buy. Anyone searching Google for a free butterfly craft for kids just isn’t in the mindset to buy a parenting book – or even a craft kit!

Instead, I advised my friend to reformat the site to attract buyers who are ready to make a purchase. For example, that same mom who last week was looking for a way to keep her kids busy for ten minutes before dinner may want more information about educational toys or arts and crafts kits for her kids. Same person, different Google search, different motivation, different likelihood of buying.

To figure out if your chosen niche is make up of buyers or freebie seekers, you really need to get in their head. Think about what people would be looking for in the niche you’ve chosen and how they would land on your website. What frame of mind are they in: desperation? relaxation? curiosity? Are they looking for information or are they ready to buy?

Something to think about isn’t it ;)

In the next post we’ll discuss whether you have to be in love with your niche – in other words, can you “marry” your niche for profits, not passion? Your thoughts?

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FreedomRICH Business Basics: How to Identify a Hot Profitable Niche Part I

February 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

A common question I get asked from women in the beginning phase of their online business (and veteran women in business online wanting to expand their income potential) is how to identify a profitable niche.

Choosing the right niche can seem really elusive and difficult to pin down, but it’s actually a teachable (and learn-able!) skill, just like playing tennis or baking bread. This post is the first in a series that will reveal the specific steps I go through (and guide my clients through), so you too can confidently identify a niche that will be profitable for you.

Here’s just some of what we’ll cover:

  • What is a niche anyway?
  • What is a target market (nope, it’s not your niche!)
  • What makes a niche profitable?
  • How to TEST the profit potential of a niche
  • and a lot more…

After this series you can expect to know more about niche marketing than most of your competitors and how to use that knowledge to boost your bottom line. So let’s get started!

What is A Niche?

Here’s Wikipedia’s definition of a Niche Market:

A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact.

And here’s how they describe an Online Niche Market

An often used technique for affiliate marketers is Internet-based niche marketing. By appealing to smaller segments of larger markets, referred to as niches, a website can be developed and promoted quickly to uniquely serve a targeted and usually loyal customer base, giving the affiliate a small but regular income stream. This technique is then repeated across several other niche websites until a desired income level is achieved. A bigger niche is harder to market to as the expense of online advertisements increases according to the popularity of the keywords used (on Adwords, for example).

In other words, a “niche” is a smaller segment of a larger market. Let’s look at some examples of larger markets as well as niches.

Health and Wellness is a large market, weight loss is a subset of that market. We can then “niche” it down even further by choosing weight loss for new moms as our niche.

Finance is another large market, debt reduction is a subset and paying off credit card debt is a niche within that market.

Think of a bookstore: the large market is the broad area of the store, like “Self-Help,” “Spirituality,” “Cooking,” “Fitness,” “Finances.” The shelf labels identify the subset of the market (“relationships,” “vegetarianism,” “weight training,” “Buddhism.”). Then a niche is a group of a few titles within that subcategory (“getting along with your in-laws,” “vegetarian cooking for kids,” “weight training for bone density,” “converting to Buddhism.”).

If you can’t tell if your topic is a large market, subset, or niche, imagine where you’d find your category in a bookstore: On a big sign hanging from the ceiling, on a shelf label, or on the title of a book?

Your goal is to identify a niche within which you can sell a specific set of products to a well defined group of people, otherwise known as your target market.

What is YOUR Target Market?

Once you’ve figured out your niche, your target market is your ideal audience or customers within that niche. For instance, if you want to sell weight loss products to new moms, you’re naturally targeting women age 20 to 40 who have recently given birth and are wanting to lose their “baby weight.”

You may be wondering why there’s such a focus on defining your niche and target market. Simply put, the more closely you can define your niche and your target market, the more easily you can create products and marketing materials to draw the attention of the exact subset of the population that will be most interested in your product. Not only will this make your efforts easier, it will also make them much more effective – and that means much more profitable!

In the next post we’ll talk more about why choosing an “hot niche” is an important first step to your online success!

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New Year Ramp Up (Day 8): IAWBO’s New Online Marketing Alliance

January 8, 2011 By admin 1 Comment

NEW! Online Marketing Alliance
give * receive * achieve

An Exclusive Invitation to Promote and Grow Your Online Business!

  • Be “the” Go-To Expert in Your Niche
  • Build Your List
  • Gain Credibility
  • Announce Your Events
  • Sell Your Products
  • & Much More!

Are you really good at what you do and passionate about the difference it makes but your list (community/tribe) is small, un-responsive or not as relevant as you’d like it to be?

Do your products/services support women entrepreneurs?

How would you like to be the exclusive go-to expert in your niche consistently visible to our growing community of thousands of aspiring women in business online?

Say goodbye to the hit and miss approach so many entrepreneurs fall into. Now you can reach your target audience – women entrepreneurs – consistently and efficiently.

We’re selecting ONE expert per niche topic to be the exclusive Authorized Guide within IAWBO’s new Online Marketing Alliance.

This is your chance to claim your area of expertise before someone else who does what you do sneaks in first. Given the exclusivity factor, your category may not come open for a very long time.

One of the biggest frustrations for rising stars in any industry is the lack of a list to market to. Now you can eliminate this anxiety by positioning yourself as THE expert on your niche topic for our community of thousands of women entrepreneurs.

Positioning your expertise in front of this audience is the next best thing to having a large list of your own. You don’t have to wait for your list attraction to kick in. You can begin to develop meaningful relationships with a relevant audience starting now!

Without a list to market to, it doesn’t matter how good you are at what you do or how passionate you are about the difference you can make. To reach more people and make more money you need VISIBILITY and CREDIBILITY.

As “the” authorized guide for your niche topic you’ll enjoy both!

You’ll receive an exclusive invitation to IAWBO’s Online Marketing Collaborative private mastermind where authorized guides will network, collaborate and support each other’s business growth through the coming year. A virtual think tank for online marketing… just imagine the ideas that will unfold.

And, we’ll hold you accountable too. My team and I will monitor your participation to make sure you are using all of the benefits that go along with being an Authorized Guide. We’ll show you how to leverage this to the max!

Women in Business Online Know and Trust IAWBO

We are passionate about teaching women entrepreneurs how to achieve more online in record time. Accelerating the success of women in business online is what we do. By providing REAL content and resources (relevant, exact, applicable and leading) we have earned the right to speak directly to this audience.  Being a woman in business online myself, I know the unique challenges and infinite possibilities that exist for this group of women.

Important facts: The IAWBO community is currently comprised of more than 3000+ subscribers but this does not represent the full scope of the visibility you’ll enjoy. Our social media presence exceeds 17,000+ and we enjoy extensive collaborative marketing reach via experts and partners.You, your products and services will be visible through all channels.

As an Expert Member, you’ll receive everything at the Association Member level, PLUS…

  • Enjoy list building through IAWBO’s new Virtual Hope Chest. Our reciprocity-based strategies get results!
  • Be recognized as an Authorized Guide showcasing YOU as the go-to expert in your niche within our growing community
  • Be the guest expert for a member’s only teleclass
  • Be a guest expert for an #askIAWBO Tweet Chat
  • Contribute original articles to the Premium Articles Database
  • Contribute re-purposed content to our blog
  • Be the host of your own Podcast series
  • Contribute videos to IAWBO-TV
  • Announce your tele-classes, programs and events
  • Promote your information products through IAWBO’s eBoutique
  • Enjoy the spotlight with a Press Release announcing YOU as an Authorized Guide
  • Our members will get to know, like and trust you through a detailed authorized guide listing on the IAWBO.com website and a “How Does She Do It?” blog interview
  • Proudly display your Authorized Guide badge on your site and within your promotional materials
  • Network and collaborate with fellow guides within the exclusive Collaborative Marketing Alliance mastermind and enjoy regular conference calls and social media chats to discuss business growth strategies, improve what’s working and eliminate what isn’t.
  • All contributions will receive extensive visibility through social media channels – ours and via online marketing alliance members.
  • Receive and propose other special opportunities as they arise!

Some examples of niche topics that support the success of women in business online are:

  • Copywriting
  • Article marketing
  • Productivity secrets
  • Teleclasses/virtual events
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing on Facebook
  • Marketing thru Twitter
  • Video Marketing
  • How to Create & Sell Info-Products
  • Client Attraction
  • Authenticity in Business
  • Money Mindset
  • Limiting Beliefs
  • Presentations that sell
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Writing a book
  • Publishing a book
  • Online revenue models
  • Group Coaching
  • High Level Coaching
  • Hiring a support team
  • Cash flow strategies
  • Networking online
  • Networking face to face
  • Hosting live events
  • No and low cost marketing
  • Technology for online business
  • … add your niche topic here.

As soon as you register we’ll schedule a 30 minute consultation with me to make sure you are powerfully positioned to maximize the visibility channels that will work best for you. Moving forward, my VA team will keep an eye out for content that you could be re-purposing through the site.

If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been waiting for send an email to ginabell (at) iawbo.com indicating your interest and we’ll add you to the waiting list. We’ll have the details finalized (i.e. marketing packages, fees, etc) and the official plan in place within the next week or so.

~ Gina xo

P.S. Experts and proposed niche topics will be evaluated individually through an application process to ensure it’s a good match for you and our community of women in business online.

Filed Under 2011 Ramp Up, Marketing Tagged With , , , ,

Here’s the Fastest Way to Boost Your Expert Status and Automate Your Passive Income

December 30, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Are you craving more flexibility in your business? How about profitability? Who  doesn’t want more of this right? But, do you wondering if it’s really possible for YOU?

You betcha! And this is why I’m so excited to tell you about something my good friend Nika Stewart, The Laptop Mom, has created for you.

If you’re in a hurry check it out here: http://ginabellinc.com/nikajan13

Nika worked as an interior designer for ten years. After her daughter Ellie was born in 2005, Nika realized that she needed to run her business differently. She didn’t want to stop working, but she also didn’t want to leave Ellie in full-time day-care.

Out of desperation, Nika figured out a way to leverage her knowledge and time to create a rewarding business that not only gives value to thousands of people around the world, but allows her the flexibility and freedom to live her life on her own terms.

Nika’s story is similar to my own in that desperation was the catalyst but for me too but, the fire under MY bum was a daughter nearing high school graduation and planning to go to University AND a husband “between careers”. I could have caved under that kind of pressure but, I stepped up – because I had to. Why am I telling you this? So that you can see it is possible for you too.

The difference here is that you can have Nika show you how to do the same thing! (I would have jumped on this but I learned the hard way!)

So I want you to be sure to register for this FREE tele-training that Nika is offering:

How to Create Your Own Info-Products & Add Passive Revenue to Your Service-Based Business

It’s on Thursday, January 13 at 8:00 PM Eastern. Register here: http://ginabellinc.com/nikajan13

Here’s a quick idea of what you’ll learn:

  • The most critical first step you need to take so that creating your online products becomes super simple (most business owners don’t know this)
  • Which online products are quickest and easiest for you to produce (you’ll even learn about a valuable product you can create in a day)
  • The #1 online marketing tool that quickly boosts your expert status and automates your passive income stream
  • The 7 exact steps to growing a profitable, rewarding income stream – without sacrificing any family priorities.

Dont’ just DREAM about being a successful woman in business online. Learn > Act > Earn so you can set the wheels in motion guaranteeing that it WILL happen.

You can add a stream of passive income, or transition your entire business to this model!

If you’d like to experience more freedom and income in 2011, this is a great place to start. I suggest you do whatever is necessary to attend this free class.

~ Gina xo

Filed Under Events Calendar, Featured Posts, How Does She Do It, Marketing

How to Make 2011 Your Year to Get Clear (and Grow Rich)

December 20, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

If you’re feeling frustrated with how fast your business is growing and you’d really love to pick up the pace, here’s something you can do right now…

Start making powerful decisions about every action you take. Ask yourself: Will this (action or decision) take me closer to or further away from my goal?

It’s simple enough but not always so easy. The premise here is assuming you have clearly and confidently set goals in the first place. You’ve got to know where you’re going before you can make decisions and take actions to get you there.

It sounds so logical yet so many entrepreneurs don’t spend much time thinking about what they really want. They just start doing. I’ve done it too – I just know better now.

Bottom line: If you don’t have a clear destination (and, if you’re not being totally honest about where you are now) – any decision will feel like guesswork and the actions you take may actually be moving you further away from what you really want.

Guessing next steps and hoping for the best is not how successful women grow in business.

So imagine this instead… knowing exactly what to do first and next – and why. Do you think you’d move a little faster and enjoy more significant results from your efforts? You bet! This is what clarity can do for you.

So – as your clarity catalyst – I have TWO action steps for you:

1) First, go to my personal coaching site and get a copy of How to Set Goals with Confidence – this 30+ page guide on its own will position you to enjoy greater and faster success in 2011.

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” – Abraham Lincoln

2) Next, apply for a complimentary 30 minute Strategy Session with me. During this call you’ll gain clarity about where you are, where you really want to be and what you can do immediately to bridge that gap quickly and easily. (Scheduled on a first come first serve basis).

Make 2011 your year to get clear (and grow rich!)

- Gina xo

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Heart trumps logic. A personal invitation to work closely with IAWBO Founder Gina Bell

December 17, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

I’m writing to let you know I’ve made a decision that might shock you a little…

(Lets just say heart trumps logic. You’ll see what I mean in a sec).

When it comes to being successful in business online you probably already know that LEVERAGE, making the most of your time, money, expertise, relationships, etc… is essential right. It’s the key to making more and working less.

Passion aside, leverage is why I launched the association of women in business online (IAWBO), so that I could transition to a more abundant one-to-many model. It’s really smart.

But, I have a confession to make…

As excited as I am about the strategy and logic of leverage, my heart sings when I roll up my sleeves to work shoulder to shoulder with high achieving women like you.

Exploring possibilities; expanding potential; bringing ideas to life; teaching catalyst strategies; shifting frustration to fast forward; celebrating successes… there’s just nothing else like it for me.

And because I love it SO much, I’ve opened my schedule to work closely with 6 success-driven women.

Once I made the decision, two spots were scooped up right away – and I’m talking BEFORE I told anyone. You can say it’s a coincidence. I see it as a big thumbs up from the Universe LOL.

Anyway, that leaves just 4 more spaces…

* There’s no deadline.
* When the spots are gone, they’re gone.
* There’s no preview teleclass.
* And, there’s no year long contract.

Its simple…

If you see value in having me to help you create a successful online business like mine – one that is profitable, authentic and fun –hop on over to http://AccelerateWithGina.com and apply for your complimentary CATALYST call.

When you get there you’ll see a series of get to know you questions at the bottom of the page. Submit your answers through my website contact form.

Once I receive your details we’ll schedule a time to explore if you will be one of the six women to work closely with me in 2011.

Talk with you soon!

Gina xo

P.S. I wanted to get this out to you before we all slip into holiday mode so we could get a time scheduled on the calendar. This way we can hit the ground running early in the New Year. With just 4 spots open fast action is key. http://AccelerateWithGina.com

P.P.S. If your business intuition is telling you that coaching is THE next step you need to take but you’ve been terrified of making a long-term commitment. This is the door you’ve been looking for. Register for your strategy session now and I’ll take it a step further with a Risk-Free-Happiness-Guarantee. http://AccelerateWithGina.com

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List Attraction Secret: The Money Is In Your List (Now what does that REALLY mean?)

November 21, 2010 By admin 3 Comments

As a woman in business online you’ve probably heard someone say:

“The money is in the list”.

But do you know what that really means?

Very simply it means, YOUR LIST is your greatest asset. But not just ANY list.

It’s not just about accumulating the biggest list you can. There’s strategy to consider…

=> Why are you building your list?
=> Who should be on your list?
=> How do you get these people on your list?
=> How do you keep them on your list?
=> How do you grow your list faster?
=> How do you make money from this list?

And I’m saying “list” for simplicity… For you the word might be community, network or tribe. Whatever you want to call it, effective list attraction, retention and monetization skills are ESSENTIAL for long-term success.

Grow your list size and quality and you grow your PROFIT POTENTIAL and this is one aspect of growing your business that you can influence immediately.

If that sounds like something you want to experience in your business, here’s your golden ticket…

Until November 30th, you can get the entire List Attraction Series at 50% off.

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Here’s a peek at the topics covered in this high-content series:

=> How to Find Your Social Media Sweet Spot

=> Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Secrets

=> Article Marketing for List Attraction

=> Host a Virtual Event to Leap Your List

=> How to Leap Your List by Creating a High Traffic Blog

=> Pink Spoon Strategies: Give an Irresistible Taste of Your Brilliance

=> Affiliate Marketing Secrets for List Growth and Profit

=> 5 Psychological Triggers to Turn Prospects Into Clients

=> Build a Loyal Following of Ideal Learners

=> Eyes Wide Open List-Building Using the Money Map to Freedom

=> I’ve Got a List! Now What? Maximize with Follow Up

=> BONUS: Business Goddess Guide to Creating Sales Pages with Heart

Now you can grow your list of relevant and responsive subscribers quickly and constantly so you can save time, get clients and make money with authenticity and ethics too!

Start growing your profit potential today!

Hurry, the coupon expires at midnight November 30th…

Regular $97 it’s yours for just $48.50 That’s only $4 per class!

Get immediate access when you place your order now. Your coupon code is: SAVE50

To Your Online Success!!

~ Gina xo

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P.S. After November 30th, the List Attraction Series will no longer be available in this mp3 only package. It is getting a makeover and will re-emerge in 2011 as the List Attraction Secrets program… It will never again be offered at this regular price – so “SAVE50″ while you can. Click here to order now.

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