Dig deep in forums and chat rooms. Forums and chat rooms are a fantastic way to research your market anonymously. Behind the scenes research so to speak. When you learn what other people are looking for, then determine if your sub niche is specific enough to provide it, and if there are enough people interested in the type of information and products you’d be offering. Feeling bold? Register for the forum and ask questions. Don’t give away the bank, there are many people that would gladly take your idea and run with it but asking questions and taking notes will definitely help you understand your market and their needs.
Dig deep by visiting relevant websites. Once you’re done digging through the forums and chat rooms, take a peek at the websites that are currently available and relevant to your topic. For example, visit sports nutrition websites and websites for senior athletes. Take a look at the products that they’re selling. Don’t forget to take a look at the advertisers on their websites too! Visit the sponsored websites to examine their sites and products and study their marketing strategy and audience.
Dig in the back of magazines related to your topic. There is a magazine on just about every topic under the sun. Grab an issue or two and flip to the back. Check out the advertisers. Why? It will give you a list of proven products to promote on your membership site. Magazines are expensive to advertise in, if these companies can afford to pay for an ad, chances are they’re doing well and their products are in demand.
Dig deep in article directories. Visit your favorite article directory, like Ezine Articles and search for information on your niche topic. This will give you a quick glance on the current demand for information. It will also give you a list of websites already established in your field. Visit the sites and examine what they’re doing right and wrong and what you can take from them and make better.
