"How To Find Your Niche on the Internet!"

It does not matter what you are looking for on the
Internet or what it is you are trying to accomplish
because, basically, everyone wants the same thing.

This is especially true for those of us wishing to do
business online although it really applies to even
those just seeking a community of like-minded people.

EVERYONE on the Internet wants:

1. To find more INFORMATION on a given subject.
or
2. To find PEOPLE with similar interests.

Many refer to this as your niche. Others involved with
online business call it finding your target audience.

Give some thought as to why you want to reach people.

Once you know WHY you want to contact people, then
you will know WHOM it is you need to communicate with
and for WHAT reason.

So where should you begin your search?

As the question itself suggests the answer, you
should begin your quest for either information or
people by doing extensive research with your
favorite search engine(s).

I personally like to use Google, http://www.google.com,
and that is where I begin my research.

No matter which Search Engines or Directory is your
own personal favorite, just take that as your starting
point and build on it from there.

But, certainly, do not limit your research to just one
source. You should use no less than the top ten
Search Engines and Directories for your research.

For a list, via Auto-Responder, of the current
"Top 10 Search Engines and Directories!", send
a blank email message to:
mailto:Top10SE@emailexchange.org

Here is an excellent strategy to make use of
for your own quest for information or people:

1. Prepare a list of "Keywords" to find what you seek.

2. Visit each of the Top 10 Search Engines and Directories.

3. At each of the Top 10 enter your "keywords".

4. Visit and review the Top 20 to 30 results of the "keywords"

used in your search at each of the Search Engines
and Directories.

5. Weed out the useless or dead links.

6. Begin to form your community and bookmark all
the web sites that hold interest and promise.

This will give you a solid foundation from which to begin.

Your next step is to reach out and "touch" that community
of people that you seek by sending out email.

ALWAYS use email without resorting to SPAM.

Because SPAM is against Internet rules and because it creates
more problems that it solves. SPAM is should NOT be an option.

With the list you compile from your research, decide if it is
important to your quest to contact the web masters of each
of those individual web site.

This list of web masters gives you a good start on
which to start building your own little community of contacts.

Begin to compile a "Mailing List" of your contacts.

Next, build on your list by joining discussion or mailing
list groups that are already established. These are
communities that already exist and discuss topics of
interest by email.

Internet discussion groups may be mailing lists,
newsgroups, message boards, chat rooms or IRC type
chat channels, to name just a few possibilities.

Seek out the moderated type lists as they are loaded
with your Niche people. And, what you do on these groups
is quite simple; you participate.

You do NOT try to place ads as that is SPAM.

However, virtually all such groups do allow those that
participate to include a 2 to 4 line signature. Some groups
even allow larger signatures.

NEVER underestimate the power of your signature.

During a one-week period, my signature was the ONLY
form of promotion I used and in just five days we got
over 1000 visitors to our unadvertised web site.

For some good tips on using your signature visit:

How To Use Your Signature:
http://emailexchange.org/sig.html

Here are some excellent FREE Resources to find and
join Free Discussion or Mailing List groups:

Liszt - The Mailing List Directory:
http://www.liszt.com/

Search The List of Lists:
http://catalog.com/vivian/interest-group-search.html

CataList, the catalog of 46,902 public LISTSERV lists!
http://www.lsoft.com/lists/listref.html

These groups are established and are full of members that
can fill your own particular Niche or Target Audience by
merely searching out those groups with like-minded people.

Do not overlook the power of Ezines and or Newsletters.

Whatever your interest, most certainly there already exists a
network of publications that tap into your Niche or Target Audience.

Tap into these publications, a few at a time, and you
will get an instant pulse on happenings online. Visit:

Top 100+ Online Newsletters:
http://emailexchange.org/newsletters.html

Remember, it is essential to begin your own mailing list of
people that AGREE to receive your email.

Perhaps once a week, with a word of interest, you send out a
mailing with info directly related to your common interest.

It is important to keep the lines of communication open
with your community of people.

But do NOT just send out ad upon ad. No one likes to be
bombarded with ads from others.

Send out information that will be informative and of interest.

This gives you a basic "Blue Print" to follow to either
begin to establish yourself on the Internet or expand
on whatever you have already accomplished.

The basic resources outlined above will give you a strong
foundation to discover WHERE to reach that special niche
or target audience of yours.