BUT ... that doesn't mean you throw your hands up in dispair and give up ;o) Stick with me for a few minutes and we'll go over a few ideas that come to mind and see if they get your creative juices flowing.

Firstly, what heck is a "Niche" anyway?? I mean I am sure you have seen word flying around Internet and a lot more lately. You've seen newsletter articles and email letters from some of top guru's now sprouting "Niche" as new "catch" word of time.

The term is NOT NEW. Basically a "niche" is finding a specific target market and catering to their specific wants and needs.

Ummm let me give you an example...

As a marketing coach/consultant my business is providing a service "marketing" to businesses. Now obviously business arena is too general so what I want to do is break it down into bite size sectors or smaller target markets. I may want to deal specifically to needs and wants of Dental Offices and decide to specialize in Dental Office Marketing. I could take on legal sector and specialize in marketing legal practices.

Get where I am going here??

I can't be all things to all businesses out there, so I break business sector down into target markets and find ones that I want to specialize in and cater to that group specifically.

Now, you may be thinking ok, that's good for you being a marketing coach, but I am an affiliate for a progam...how does "niche marketing" affect me?

Glad you asked ;o)

When people first come online with desire to start some sort of eBusiness they typically go into "emarketing" niche and promote products/services with a marketing theme. It makes sense from a marketing point of view, you go where there is demand.

However, with demand also comes competition and "online marketing" arena is saturated and highly competitive.

So...what do you do?

Well, what you need to do is sit and think of markets outside of "online marketing" arena which could also use your products/ services and target your messages specifically to them.

Umm I feel an example coming on here...ah ok, here is one for you.

Lets say you are an affiliate for an autoresponder service. Excellent service because you know that anyone who starts a business online needs an autoresponder. While that is great, what isn't so hot is fact that you are not only autoresponder service in cyber-land and they too are targeting same niche you are.

But...the difference between you and them is this article ;o)

Well, so far you have been given two systems that are SIMPLE to put to use within your own business. They might take just a little bit of time in gathering tools you need, but once you have them, you are good to GO!!

In your marketing efforts you want to use as many cost effective tactics at once. Tactics that once they are set up bascially run on their own.

So, let's keep that momentum going and keep to this idea of SIMPLE eMail Marketing Systems that anyone, regardless of level of experience can do ;o)

Today's system is an eCourse. Now before you click off here, just hang for a little bit and I will show you just how EASY it is to put together...AND how an eCourse can work at generating additional income streams for you.

First why...

An ecourse can be setup to operate by itself without any additional work or effort on your part. You just plug it into an autoresponder, set up a little link within your email signature block, add a link on your site, perhaps run an ad to draw people in to take it...and BINGO you are on your way to building a list.

I know that you know benefits of an ecourse and I don't want to really focus too much in that area...list building is key to ALL your marketing efforts and an ecourse is a fantastic tool for that!

How To Develop a Course of Your Own...

Ah..that is question!!

You have two ways in which you can go about developing a course of your own, you can:

1. pick a theme and develop content via your knowledge in particular theme you have choosen. Let me give you a quick example:

If you run a dating site then you may want to develop an ecourse geared towards members of site. The theme could be "How to Attract Mr. or Miss. Right!" Your course discuss ways in which a person writes their profile, what sorts of pictures to use, how to respond to an interested person. Anything that will help your member stand out on site so that they get what they are looking for...a date (or mate as case may be).

2. pick a theme and use content that other people have developed that is in keeping with that theme. THE MOST EASIEST way to go for people who feel they are NOT writers. The internet is full of good, solid content in form of articles, reviews, interviews. All you need to do is find content and set it up into a logical 5 or 7 day format and BINGO, you have your own course and you virtually didn't write a word...how cool is that!!!

It is very easy to put together an eCourse of your own. It takes a bit of time but once you get one eCourse under your belt you'll be surprised at just how quickly you can pull them together after.

Now, I want to "show you money," or actually how you can weave in your very own income streams...

Within template you use include a "Sponsor Ad" at top. Something like this...

--------Today's Sponsor --------

On corner of walk and don't walk with your marketing? Need a BOOST? Then subscribe to xyz eZine for BOOST you need! http://www.yourlinkhere.com --------------------------------------

If you have a 5 or 7 day eCourse well you have 5 or 7 ad spots. I will say this however, don't just plug in any ad. Make sure that your sponsor ad ties into overall theme of your course. If your course is on health products and you out blue put an ad in about travel...well you lose momentum and flow of course itself, your subscribers are looking at that and wondering what heck? Not to mention you look scattered. Keep it on topic ;o)

Next...