As a web publisher you need to know what’s going on across a wide range of topics – what’s hot, what’s on the way up, and what’s fading in the marketplace.
Finding the right niche can be all about nailing trends. Probably the best trend information you can get is in marketing-oriented sites and newsletters.
Why is marketing-led information so good? Because marketing experts are looking at direction - in other words, what’s going up.
Direction matters. Your research so far may have told you that gardening is very popular – but which way is it going? Are there going to be more people interested in the future, or less? Or is it pretty much flat-lining?
No doubt about it - this is useful information for a web publisher. So take some time to check out good marketing resources like the ones we give you below. And go looking for some sources of your own, including niche-specific ones – there are lots out there.
Sign up for the newsletters on the sites listed below and read through current and archive articles for ideas. Follow the links in the articles that interest you to get deeper into the trend you’re watching.
The great thing about these sites is that they pull together what you may already have noticed happening in the marketplace. They identify the trend that lies behind the change in consumer behavior.
This is information you need to have, and the great thing is – once you sign up - you get the information delivered right to your desktop for as long as you need it:
http://www.trendwatching.com - trend reports across all areas.
http://www.trendcentral.com – emphasis on the youth lifestyle, technology, entertainment.
http://www.springwise.com - consumer trends and innovation based on input from roving members. Sign up and offer your services – do a report in your niche when you find it!
http://www.blogpulse.com - look up broad topics to see what’s happening in that niche in the blogosphere.
Keep your eyes and ears open as you go about your daily life. Listen or watch the news and read newspapers more avidly than usual. Tie in what you see and hear happening with the trends you’ve identified.
Think about the news in niche category terms. We tend to absorb news as a series of unrelated incidents. What you need to do is identify what is changing in broader terms.
For direct information on news by category - check out some news portal sites:
http://www.prnewswire.com/ - scroll down left hand side for news in specific categories.
http://www.prfree/ - same thing - news by category, country, and by day.
Find some other PR sites with news portals and look at their category lists. Remember, the more information the better.
Review the list you created.
Now you know where the really strong trends in the market are. How does this info affect what you have on your list? Identify what topics become stronger and which ones weaker as a result of what you now know.
Top tip for niche research: buy a small bound notebook and carry it around with you. As ideas occur, jot them down.
Use the same notebook for all your niche research notes. Don’t ever throw it away – come back to old notebooks when you start looking for ideas for as new site.