1. Build an Opt-In list. You're insane if you aren't building a list of subscribers that want to receive information from you. Not only does it give you the ability to synchronize sales launches, recommend affiliate programs and so on - is allows you to build and leverage a relationship with literally thousands of people, for practically zero cost. I've dominated niches using an opt-in list alone - especially with an autoresponder... Remember that informative and "spicy" mailings will cause a wave of "buzz" throughout your niche, resulting in tons of blog entries, forum posts and possibly even permanent articles. Additionally, use a list to hand out free viral reports, site-tools (with backlinks) and so on. You're insane if you don't build a list... 2. MySpace.com. Some of the niches that I reach are in the "board sports" category, which is a perfect fit for many of the 80 million users on MySpace.com Ethically build up a "friends base" and use the bulletins and comments features (as well as starting your own relevant group) to tell people about events and so on. The purpose of MySpace.com (for me) hasn't so much been to "hard sell" as it has to generate buzz about something FAST. If you've got a "funny" video or viral report or whatever and you want to blast it out fast - then MySpace is the place to do it, because it keeps on spreading around... And then from there, use that traffic to build a LIST (see above). Done right, it's targeted, FREE and best of all, continual. 3. Joint Ventures. I once dominated a niche in under 3 months by simply building a directory and trading ads with every niche-specific site I could find in exchange for a permanent, one-way link. They got free advertising. I got literally hundreds of relevant one-way links (which is far better than just writing/submitting articles). Within 3 months the search engines were sending me about 500 unique visitors a day, and the other residual traffic sources matched that, so it was at about 1000 unique visitors a day in total. Of course with this I built a list, built rapport, started up a forum, and it's only been increasingly growing in revenue and traffic ever since. It's even easier to use JV's to dominate your niche if you're selling a high-ticket product, or if you're using a 2-tier set up and you work with someone who reaches webmasters and marketers directly. 4. Craigslist.org Do this ethically, but using ads on craigslist can be an incredibly easy (and fast) way to test a product, a sales letter or whatever. Craigslist, much like a busy forum in your niche, can be used as a "litmus test" to see which headlines, ad copy and offers are going to sell - and make you money as a result. 5. They Can Do it For You... Forums, social-networking scripts, review scripts and so on are the easiest way to generate unique content to feed the search engines in increase your traffic. Additionally, done right, you can use a forum/social network as a marketing medium and experience a far more effective response rate than you would from an email newsletter (ie. "mass-PM", etc.). "MySpace" scripts are particularly powerful because once the network is in the 1000's, people will actually begin to promote the content they provide. Which turns your site into a self-perpetual, ever-increasing search engine magnet and viral marketing machine! Understanding this principle of leverage - especially in relation to your users providing both your content and your traffic - is the key to real online success. 6. Controversy. So you REALLY want traffic - and fast? Be controversial. Give people in your niche something to talk about... Why is the "Da Vinci code" so successful? Because it's controversial. "Jesus Christ had a wife, and he's not God." That goes against EVERY traditional notion in a very large portion of the world, and it opened up such a huge can of worms that a lot of people bought in so that they simply wouldn't feel left out of conversations with their friends, family, colleagues, etc. You can use this exact same principle to generate a literal flood of "word of mouth" marketing in your niche. I did this once, and it worked incredibly well. However, if I were to use it again, I would use a pen name - which is perfectly legal. 7. A Cause. Perhaps even more effective than controversy is a cause. I once wrote an "inspirational article" that was tied to a small niche. I wrote it years ago, but I still get emails about it almost every week. That one article (which is only 3 paragraphs long) literally created a following of loyal customers, fans and industry partners out of thin air. Using a "cause" to create following within your niche is incredibly powerful. You've just read seven incredibly powerful tactics that will give you the inside "edge" so that you can absolutely dominate your niche in record time. Now go and get to work! Be creative. Be ruthless. And most of all, be relentless. |
