Expanding your Niche

How often do we look for something for what seems like an age, only to realise that it was there in front of us all the time.

What they call – Hidden in Plain Sight. How did I ever miss that?

Sometimes we just don’t see what is right there, so close that we could reach out and touch it. Not just physical things like “where are my spectacles, oh here they are on my head” Or spending ten minutes searching for a pair of scissors that were in the cutlery draw all along, the one that you’ve just emptied out twice. Third time lucky they say.

It happens with ideas too. There are times when our thought processes just don’t help us to see what is there all the time. I went through a phase of wondering just what I could write about next. With almost 300 videos already published I was worried, a few weeks ago, that I might be running out of ideas for my niche. What to do?

Then I helped a new starter with her niche ideas, how to publish, what to put in her videos and so on. I was answering my own questions about what to do next with my own niche, even though they were in no way similar.

This person was very obviously good as a dietician, and knew her stuff. But … she asked … “If I write about the perfect diet, why its good for you, what do I write about next? I can’t write about another perfect diet.” So I PM’d her a list

I suggested that instead of writing the whole thing, all about the diet and all about the different variations in one very long post or video, why not have many shorter and separate blogs that are maybe titled …

A diet for Adults and then next week, a diet for children, followed the week after by a diet for seniors, then there are diets for diabetes, and diets for allergies

Then break the adults down into diets for 20 year olds, diets for 30 year olds, a diet for pregnant mums, or even what to eat when planning a baby.

The list went on. Enough ideas to keep her going for a year or more.

The point is, if you know your niche, if you really are the expert on your niche, then you should have no problem in making a few adjustments here and there to target a new audience. And audiences like to be targetted.

Concert promoters don’t just advertise an evening of music without any clues and hope that the music will suit all the ticket holders. Instead, if they advertise it as Classical music they know that they will get many more people turning up who are already appreciative of that genre. A rock concert will attract a different group. Taylor Swift, a very specific group, but thousands and thousands of them.

How to cook. A pretty bland title for a niche subject.

How about how to cook eggs 5 ways or how to cook the perfect omelette.

And another posting could be Barbecue Spare Ribs and next week, Barbecue Spare Ribs Southern Style. Folk will read it or watch it, because it is specific.

Exercise for weight watchers – so what?

But what about exercise for the young weight watcher, and then Exercise for 30 year olds. “Oh … I’m 33 years of age, I must watch this. Mum, I just phoned to say that I watched a great video today, and they even have one about exercise for 60 year olds. You’ve got to watch it.”

Expand, expand, expand. Use what you already know to create lots of micro-niches.

Learn to brainstorm for ideas and write down every idea that whizzes across your mind as soon as it appears. Don’t wait, you will lose it. If its written down, you’ve captured it, even if you do nothing with it for two weeks or a month, it’s there, waiting.

My favourite memory tool? I almost always have my mobile phone to hand. I email myself the idea, it’s then saved in my email pile for later. Or I might photgraph something interesting that I see – whatever it is, capture it, something in the street, a page in a book, a poster on the wall, it just might be the “thing” that leads to the next topic for your niche.

Remember - The hardest thing to spot is what is directly in front of you.

And when you have your ideas – take action.

You can’t build a brick wall unless you pick up the bricks and put them on the wall.

What an excellent idea for a new game – Pick up Bricks.

Now I’m thinking of Pink Floyd – perhaps ­­it’s time to take my tablets.

That’s all, have a super week.

Bux