Now, don’t panic if you have an established business; you can still carve out a niche market for yourself, if you haven’t already done so. With a few basic principles and a bit of ingenuity, you can establish yourself as the premier player, and make a tidy sum doing it, too.

You Can’t be All Things to All People

Repeat after me, “you can’t be all things to all people.” It’s extremely important that you understand this, so repeat it again. Put it on a sticky note, and put it up next to your computer, a file cabinet, or the fridge. Keeping this simple phrase in mind will help you to avoid this costly mistake that many new business owners succumb to.

Why is this so important?

First, you automatically eliminate the stress involved with keeping up with so many market segments. Maintaining a pulse on one segment is challenging enough – why make a tough job even tougher? Consumers’ buying preferences change rapidly – suppose you purchased a pallet of plastic bottles to receive a quantity price break, only to find out that the latest trend is now to package the product in eco-friendly corrugated cartons? If you were following the market closely, you may have anticipated these changes – but, if you are juggling multiple products and markets, you may have missed this news completely.

Second, when you spread yourself too thin, you aren’t giving any market or customer your best service. It just can’t be done. Focus on one market or market segment, and give it 100% of your effort, your creativity, and your attention.

Finally, attempting to be all things to all people can get quite expensive. If you are a manufacturer, the costs involved with bringing in the raw materials for multiple products can be expensive – and, if you don’t have a strong inventory system in place, you will continually struggle to keep adequate supplies on hand. What do you do if a particular market becomes sluggish, and the raw materials have a limited shelf life? If you don’t have an outlet to move that inventory, that expense is now a complete loss. Did you hear that? That was the sound of profit being flushed down the toilet. Ouch.

Different is Good
If you are offering the exact same product as the guy down the street, why should I buy it from you? It’s important that you determine what sets you apart from your competition. If you selling an identical product, (like cellular phone service, for example), you need to be able to offer something to sweeten the deal. Do you offer better service, free phone, car charger, etc? At that point, we’re no longer comparing apples to apples - you’ve tossed an orange into the mix.

The Solution: Niche It, Niche It Good

Don’t misunderstand what I am suggesting – I’m not saying you have to be a one-widget wonder. Let me use an example to illustrate my point:

Suppose you offer an all-natural, handcrafted incense product. You offer it retail on your website, and wholesale to select accounts.

Why not modify the product to allow for:
- Private labeling for spas, gift shops or holistic health centers?
- Package a special “Zen” or “Meditation” assortment package, and specifically target  yoga and pilates instructors, or massage therapists?

By doing this, you’ve potentially increased your sales volume, without adding a new product. You are simply adapting an existing item for a new niche. This method of marketing can be done with little or no cost, but can yield big results.

About the Author:
Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva®, is an author, copywriter, publicist and publisher. As the publisher of Create the Dream! , a bimonthly digital small business magazine, Traci has a highly-regarded and long-standing reputation for offering quality resources, services and support to the small business community.

WJ: What experiences prepared you for your current role as a webmaster/online publisher? What did you do prior to your current business?

I started my Information Services career in 1996 as a Software Quality Specialist for a mainstream software company. This was a great experience that gave me an opportunity to learn a lot. The company was purchased by another company in 1997 and I moved on to work as a Web Developer for a number of consulting firms. In late 1999 I accepted a position at Amway Corporation where I was the sole developer in a small team that developed the Amway Business Network (ABN) website. This was my first real taste of e-commerce but the site was doing around $1.6 million in sales per week. Shortly thereafter, Quixtar was released and they closed the ABN site and laid off 450 salaried employees (including me). I went on to start my own consulting firm and did well servicing office furniture manufacturers Herman Miller and Steelcase until the dot com bubble burst and 9/11 when most of these companies really started tightening their budgets and closing contracts. In a pure business sense this experience helped me to get where I am today.

WJ:  What do you think of Web 2.0 and how has it impacted your business? What is the next trend for user interactivity?

Most of the adult sites that tout the title “web 2.0” aren’t actually even web 2.0 companies/sites. This includes tube sites. The basic idea behind a web 2.0 website is not the look of it. It’s about user contributed content and conversation. Too many companies are trying to ruin the web 2.0 idea by turning it into their idea of marketing and I see it as a problem for the whole community because it’s the companies that are giving away all of the free content under the guise of web 2.0… it isn’t the users providing the content.  A “true” web 2.0 site would be like xpeeps.com or even alt.com. I think the impact of fake web 2.0 sites on the industry is negative as a whole and the companies that are pushing it are short sighted. There is a lot of profit to be made in user contributed content if the service the customers are provided allows them to maintain privacy while providing the means to interact with others that share their taste. I think that sexual expression is becoming much more mainstream with every year that passes and the companies that cater to that will profit in a big way. I see a huge trend of people getting their fill of professional content and gaining interest in truly amateur content.

WJ:  Should the Internet be regulated?  Are there any parts of the Net that could use regulation?  Please explain your position thoroughly.

I am totally 100% for free expression and I don’t want to see that inhibited in any way and I am totally against any government being in control of it. That said, I think that we do need user driven regulation in cooperation with government authority. It’s just like anything… people need to get involved and companies and governments need to start being more responsive to combat the evils. Spyware should be outlawed because it’s only valuable to the profiteer and not the surfer. There needs to be a more reasonable way to protect your copyrighted material as well as combat against trojans, viruses and phishing sites. It’s all being half assed at the moment and much too costly for copyright holders to defend their rights. I don’t know what the answer is… I just hope someone can come up with a solution.

WJ:  What is the future of affiliate marketing?  Where do you see yourself in this future scenario?

I think that too much money is being spent to combat affiliate fraud. I would like to see US and European programs tighten up their programs. I personally would like to see a total lockdown that would deny any new affiliates who are from a country that can’t purchase memberships. I know I will get a lot of hate for saying that… but when I see criminal organizations like the Russian Business Network, who have undoubtedly been payed millions in affiliate payouts, that are responsible for as much as 50% of phishing crimes and have installed trojans on millions of pcs worldwide… It seems like common sense to me. The adult industry needs to take this lesson from mainstream affiliate programs. There are a lot of mainstream programs out there (especially in the credit and banking industries) that have stringent standards for affiliate qualification. One suggestion is that programs limit the programs that new affiliates can promote until they prove themselves or unless they can provide reputable references. As far as my own role, I am confident that every program I promote can recognize that I am a good affiliate and that AdultReviews.net is an invaluable affiliate. We will continue to honor that tradition.

WJ:  Please discuss your future plans for your web properties and other future developments.

The keywords here are “maintenance” and “expansion”. I will continue to maintain our current sites and work toward their growth in addition to expanding. I think the key to adapting to the ever changing ecommerce environment is continuing expansion but I see a lot of webmasters spending time on expanding their networks with garbage sites and then they wonder why they get punished by search engines. In order to actually grow a valuable network you need to focus on quality. Stop copying everyone else and think outside of the box. These are my goals and the where the real work and reward can be found.

Choosing an online journal like Webmaster Journal is an excellent way to increase your blog’s notoriety.  Webmaster Journal is a highly regarded online journal that is known by webmasters across the country.  Getting published with a site like Webmaster Journal will ensure that you are recognized for your expertise as well as a professional that is capable of answering questions that your customers may have. When customers are confident that the business they are dealing with is connected with other professional companies and are regarded as experts by leading industry publications, they are more apt to use their services.

Once you create an article that promotes your services and is a true representation of your company, you will want to begin searching for media outlets to publish your work.  One of the keys to increasing your blog’s publicity is to build a lasting relationship with various editors throughout the industry.  When an editor sees you as an expert who is also reliable, you will find that it is very common for the editor to offer you a project if they need something at the last minute.  By building a successful relationship with an editor you can create a lasting partnership that ensures that you will continue to have access to that avenue where you can prove your expertise in your field.

Therefore it is imperative that you take the steps necessary to protect your relationship with your editor.  It is advantageous to reach out to editors and build strong relationships with them that are built on honesty and integrity.  It is also a good idea to keep a record of the editors that you have worked with and do whatever is necessary to maintain a healthy relationship with him or her.

You should take the time to research the magazine, newspaper, or journal that you seek to be published in.  Never attempt to build a relationship with an editor if you haven’t first taken the time to learn as much as you can regarding the media outlet.  You should be familiar with the type of articles that they include with their publication.  Additionally, you should have a clear understanding of who their audience is so that when you write for them, the article will be specifically geared towards their readers. 

There is no denying that once you are published in a successful publication that your credibility will skyrocket.  Also, this type of exposure for your blog is repetitive, meaning that once you have been published in a leading journal you can always use that same article to promote your business and services.

It’s also a good idea to make yourself available to the editor and let them know that if they ever need fresh content that you are ready at the last minute.  Your relationship with your editor is critical to the amount of content that you will publish with them.  It should be your goal to create a relationship that is on the same level as a friendship with your editor.  Send them cards on their birthdays, holidays, and special events. After publication, consider sending them a thank you note to let them know that you appreciate working with them.

You should also realize that any editor that you are working with is an incredibly busy person and that you will most likely find more progress when you contact the editor through email rather than by telephone.  When you send an email, you are guaranteed that the editor will respond to you as their schedule allows, but all editors will read their emails. Telephone messages run the risk of being put on the back burner, as editors may simply be unable to find the time to return your phone call.  Email is an excellent tool that enables editors to save your information and easily retrieve it when needed.  A phone message will automatically be deleted as the editor must have room available on his or her phone to receive new messages, but an email can be stored forever.

If you don’t feel confident writing your own articles or press releases then you should consider hiring a freelance writer who will write your articles for your company.  This is also a great way to ensure that your articles and content are included in some of the most popular magazines, newspapers, and journals.  When you hire a writer who already has an established working relationship with media outlets, the majority of your work is done for you.  You will not need to concern yourself with pitching your story to editors, as the writer will already have a working relationship with the editor.  Once you have found a successful freelance writer to work with you will want to nurture that relationship as you would if you were working directly with an editor.

When looking for content to pitch to editors, it is best to choose topics that are relevant to what is going on in the current news.  Whenever you can create content that is full of recent news items you have an excellent chance of editors and publishers agreeing to publish and promote your content.  The quality of your story is what will either make or break your chances of being published.  It is imperative to ensure that your story is based upon a recent newsworthy item, this will make certain that editors will find your story or piece relevant and worthy of publication.  A very good way to ensure that you receive the latest news as it is breaking is to sign up with news alerts or to subscribe to various feeds that are related to your field.  This way, you will have access to current topics as they break.  By using these various techniques, you can enjoy the publicity that comes with having your blog featured in popular magazines, newspapers, and journals.

So there I am, gazing out upon this sea of golden weeds when all of a sudden it hit me. Yes, I need a good weed and feed treatment, but you know what else?

We can learn a lot about “grassroots” marketing from those pesky little guys.

Think about all of the little “seeds” you could be planting—press releases, article submissions, direct mail, podcasts and more. Each on its own is certainly powerful, but consider how much more impact these little seeds would have if you were to employ them together. This unified marketing approach packs a punch; prospects will begin to notice that everywhere they look, there you are.

There are so many opportunities out there that can be leveraged for big returns, but you need to know where to look. To help simplify your search, here are a few of my personal favorites:

PRWeb
There are a great many free press release distribution services, but remember what your Mother always said: “You get what you pay for.” PR Web offers an array of services at various price points. In addition, they offer some value-added services such as podcast interviews that you can use later as an additional promotional tool.

Big Boards
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times. Discussion forums can be a valuable small business resource. Once you’ve identified niche forums of interest, you can set about using them for market research, as well as promotion.

Scribd
Scribd has been referred to as the YouTube™ of documents, and with good reason. Make sure you read their guidelines for submissions carefully, as some overzealous marketers’ abuses caused them to toughen up on what is deemed appropriate to share. You can upload your articles, ezine issues, press releases, and much more.

Ezine Articles
Ezine articles is a treasure trove for publishers in search of content, and this makes it a prime target for your article submissions. All article reprints require that your resource box remains intact, which translates to incoming links each time your article is used.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it offers a good place to start your grassroots efforts. And remember, the strength of this approach is in the combined efforts. The seeds you plant today will soon take on a life of their own, spreading all over the net just like those dandelions in my yard.

About the Author:
Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva®, is an author, copywriter, publicist and publisher. As the publisher of Create the Dream! , a bimonthly digital small business magazine, Traci has a highly-regarded and long-standing reputation for offering quality resources, services and support to the small business community.

Blogs offer customers advantages that websites alone simply can’t provide.  First, a company blog may be updated daily or weekly.  Though it’s true you could choose to update a website on a daily or weekly basis, you’ll find that unless you are an experienced webmaster, it may become costly to pay your webmaster to continually update your site.  Blogging is relatively simple and easy to learn.  Your company can create a blog and numerous members of the company can add posts.  This saves money and increases the popularity of your company.  As more of your employees post to the blog, you’ll have greater search engine placement and will be able to provide more content on a weekly or daily basis than you would simply with a website.

Another advantage to blogging is that you can expand upon your websites’s frequently asked question section and allow for customer interaction through comments.  Smart companies understand that developing a thorough frequently asked questions section of their website helps users find the information that they are looking for easily and efficiently.  The frequently asked questions sections of many websites are often indexed in search engines and appear when Internet searchers are looking for the answers to specific questions.  Keeping a relevant and updated frequently asked question section is a great way to improve your customer database, as customers will continually come back to your site for the relevant information that you provide. 

With a blog, you can provide questions on a daily basis, allow customers to post his or her questions, and have direct interaction with your customers.  Every interaction that you have with your customers is increasing your recognition as an expert in your field.  By allowing customer comments and questions on your blog, you will increase your search engine placement and see more customers return to your blog.

Finally, every company needs a blog because blogs allow users to subscribe.  Every time there is a new subscriber to your blog, you have a potential new customer.  When you update your blog, your readers will receive those updates when they choose to read your feed.  This is an invaluable tool that allows you to see how many people are interested in your blog and choosing to sign up.  If you incorporate a newsletter with your blog, you have an even greater marketing tool that will increase your company’s productivity.

 WJ:  What experiences prepared you for your current role as a webmaster/online publisher?  What did you do prior to your current business?

My prior work experience was dealing with medical insurance claims in the midwest USA, nothing from that previous job helped at all in my current online business. I found the online marketing business from just being curious about the internet, I was fascinated by it, and one thing let to another.

 WJ:  If you can only pick one, what is the SECRET ingredient to succeeding in online publishing/the webmaster business?

The secret ingredient to succeeding in online marketing in my opinion is to find something you think the customers will like, create the website and stick with it, through thick and thin, so I’d say, you have to believe in the “product” you are selling, and also provide for it everything it needs, so there will have to be some investment, seems nowdays a lot of webmasters try to find another way around having to invest in their business.

 WJ:  What do you think of Web 2.0 and how has it impacted your business?  What is the next trend for user interactivity?

Personally I love web 2.0, I love the interaction between the surfers, I like how it opens them up and gets them to speak, rather than the site owners as it was before. I only wish web 2.0 was a bit more regulated when it comes to stolen content used on tube sites. Tube sites have definately impacted my business, sales and profits, I have no idea on how to track how much it’s impacted me but it has done some and I’ll assume it’s minus’d quite a bit of sales from my adult sites.

 WJ:  Should the Internet be regulated?  Are there any parts of the Net that could use regulation?  Please explain your position thoroughly.

Sure I think the internet should be regulated, I think mostly towards hate websites, spam, and illegal pornography, stolen content.

 WJ:  What is the future of affiliate marketing?  Where do you see yourself in this future scenario?

I think the future of affiliate marketing will be long and strong. The internet is still very new and has a long way to go before it is obsolete, if ever. My future of affiliate marketing will be to build my own sites to sell, so I’ll be owner and affiliate to bring in mostly all profits for myself rather than splitting with the site owners. Also I’ll be leaning towards more mainstream projects like surfer forums in many different topics, travel, food, clothing, etc.

 WJ:  Please discuss your future plans for your web properties and other future developments.

My future plans I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, plus add on new projects like I’ve mentioned above, new mainstream websites, blogs, and forums, and I’ll keep maintaining my current tgps, blogs, paysites etc, I plan on hiring more staff to help build my network of sites to a much larger scale.

The first step in making sure that your blog is popular is to make certain that it has a user friendly layout, is easy to read, and makes use of good headings, subtitles, and makes content easy to find. One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is to add too many graphics, bright colors, sounds, or videos on their blog.  You should also make sure that your blog is easy to download.  If your blog takes several minutes to download, you may lose visitors and potential customers before they ever get the chance to review your products and services.  If you need to include sounds, graphics, and videos try to include them in individual posts and not as the basis of your layout.  It is also a wise idea to limit the amount of posts that are displayed on your front page.  Once you have created a blog that is easy to load, provides great unique content, and is overall user friendly, you’ll find that your visitors will bookmark your blog and share it with others.

It’s also important to realize that blogs are meant to be shared, and one of the best ways to ensure your blog’s popularity is to burn its feed.  Using sites like Feedburner will allow you to enable your blog’s feed and share it with users through a subscription basis.  Feedburner also provides you additional stats and information that will let you determine how popular your blog is, how many people are subscribing and what content seems to be performing the best.  These tools are invaluable when it comes to determining the overall popularity of your blog.  Burn your feed and share your subscription page through your blog and websites. This is an excellent way to build awareness and increase your blog’s popularity.

In addition to your RSS or XML feed, you may also want to add a newsletter to your blog.  By combining your blog with a newsletter you can ensure that many people will continue to sign up for your services.  If you give away a free promotion or trial service with your blog, you’ll attract plenty of new visitors and traffic as well.  The Internet is a socially friendly place and word of mouth still continues to be a great form of advertising.  By giving away high quality free gifts, your visitors will spread the word, increasing your popularity.

You should also consider joining social networking sites and encourage your blog readers to share the stories that they like or found interesting.  Sites like Digg, Technorati, MySpace, Facebook, and more makes it easy to integrate with your blog posts and will increase your blog’s popularity seamlessly and easily.