Review: Find That Niche for Your Market Niche
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 26, 2012
Puns are terrific.I've been a fan of them for as long as I can remember. I readily admit that a lot of them that immediately spring to mind tend to elicit guffaws and groans, but regardless, I still enjoy them.So when I had to think of a title for reviewing Stephen Williams's "Marketing Online: Time to Market on the Internet," I was in a playful mood and wanted to come up with a cute---not trite---headline that reflected my innate groan-inducing talents.At the risk of sounding arrogantly pedantic, my title is a play upon a talent and an area of expertise. In this regard I thought of an ideal situation whereby someone takes an innate talent of theirs and wants to share it with the rest of the world, perhaps to such an extent that others benefit directly from their acumen and largesse. (Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jonas Salk, etc. are such examples.)Williams argues this point in similar fashion in "Marketing"---he asserts that, in a traditional business atmosphere, all too often, those of us with little or no start-up capital (money) would normally face incredible hurdles for getting ideas to market, regardless of how well-formulated their business plan. But, with the advances and opportunities proffered by the Internet, technology has advanced to the point where nearly anyone with determination, perseverence, a solid work ethic, and a long-term vision who wants to market their product can do so.The keys are social media and website savvy.Online marketing is the do-it-yourself equivalent of self-publishing: an individual with limited monies can, for example,  download free how-to information in order to promote their product on as many different social media networks as possible. Or they can find websites that will promote their product via banners and other scrawls for a nominal fee.This has become a cottage industry that has caught the collective attention of larger, well-established companies, who have realized the economic potential of these entrepreneurs and have been able to further the latter's careers, in some cases, with lucrative financial offers that have become the springboard to greater financial success.Of course, not everyone is as fortunate, since such actions entail financial risk. However, unless you live in North Korea, no one is holding you back from undertaking such an endeavor.When applied to the entrepreneurial spirit, the human condition exhibits remarkable variances: no one accomplishes their goals in quite the same way. Even those who gain much personal pleasure and satisfaction from seeing their goals reached and surpassed may be quite reticent in wanting to morph into a large conglomerate that assumes Wal-Mart-esque characteristics. It may be that such an approach reaches a certain niche within the global economy that appeals to individuals who make a deeper emotional and aesthetical connection with what is being offered. Some artisans and writers fall into this category, and are quite content to provide their services to others with similar values.Becoming financially well-off is not first and foremeost in these peoples' minds---they are more concerned with integrity and high quality and prefer to let their product speak for itself. They love what they do and find satisfaction in the process, which becomes an extension of themselves. Word-of-mouth becomes their best source of communication; plus costs remain low to nil.Williams stresses the importance of financial success and acumen throughout "Marketing." He asserts that "(e)ven if you're a home based business, social marketing will help you in ways you can only dream of! YES, dreaming IS nice, but wait to see how good REAL LIFE feels when you're a successful businessman. YOU can become the next guy on the cover of the entrepreneur magazines!" (intro.)This is, in and of itself, not a bad thing, in light of our global economy's precarious standing in certain subsets of the marketplace (witness the crises in countries such as Spain, Greece, Ireland, and Portugal). Being financially independent is a worthwhile goal that people can strive for---provided that that is what they truly want to do.Not everyone has the talent or the desire to aspire to be another Warren Buffett. Nor do all people want their mugs plastered across the glossy front of "Entrepreneur Monthly." And that is perfectly okay. All of us, as rational, adult creatures with different talents and work habits, can choose their own path in order to fulfill their particular destiny. What ultimately matters is finding a task that mirrors our desires and talents; that makes us wake up in the morning and scurry to do what it is that we love.Our job then becomes fun. The term "work" is not necessarily viewed as something to be endured or tolerated---it is embraced with fervor."Marketing" seems to place a predominant emphasis upon being the center of attention, to which some individuals may not necessarily subscribe. Being a successful entrepreneur does not always equate having to grace one's presence on every talk show or be featured prominently in every infomercial.Nevertheless, Williams does present his readers with his own personal niches---his prodigious writing talents and his numerous self-help books.This is Williams's formula for success.