CBC Reba: Do People Crave Specialized Learning Opportunities?

Continuing my Cross Blog Conversation with Reba Collins, read her last response to me – it’s very thought provoking.  She now asks me:

Do you think the online community is hungry for offerings that are more “boutique” in nature?

I asked her to clarify what she meant by ’boutique’ and she said “Lesser known, new to the market, or very specialized offerings.”

Reba, you are so bang on that we should be hearing a gong echoing somewhere!

I do think there are a lot of folks out there hungry for specialized learning opportunities.

It’s not that they can’t learn from the big dogs – it’s that they really don’t want to.  There are niche groups that don’t relate well to glossed over, suit wearing, internet marketing guru types.  All the talk of making millions and conquering the world doesn’t appeal to them – rather it sparks distrust.

As you already make mention of in your comment here, I reach an online community (the Work at Home Mom Community) that craves good internet marketing advice but has shown again and again they like to learn from someone they can relate to – showing a real preference for a fellow mom.

It bears mentioning that most WAHMs feel like ‘guru products’ are priced out of their budgets – so even though my learning resource on the subject of Article Marketing isn’t any different than a guru’s learning product – WAHMs are more likely to buy mine because it’s priced for them.

It’s not just about price.  It’s about trust and world view.

Most people want to learn from someone they ‘get’ – people with whom they share common values.

There’s a major opportunity for ’boutique’ internet marketers as you call it.  I’ve actually had my own term  I’ve used with coaching clients for awhile now – I call them ‘Master Translators’.

A Master Translator takes internet marketing knowledge and translates it into the language and shapes it into the world view of their niche.  The core IM knowledge is the same as could be learned from any guru, but it’s expression is unique. Because the Master Translator knows their niche intimately and can explain things in context, their teachings are easily digested and put into action by the end user they teach.

Some niche marketers will develop their own products to sell to their niche but others may act as affiliates for other marketers, building a bridge of trust from one to the other.

Think about the potential for translating great IM information into the language and world view of _____________.  (Fill in the blank with a niche that you have a relevant voice with.)

The key is choosing a niche that’s big enough to build a profitable business around.  (Don’t choose a niche so tight that you can’t find more then a hundred or so people to market to.)

Master Translator Cheats

Setting yourself up as the go to person for a niche is hard work – but there are a few cheats available to make process move along faster.  Just think of all the awesome IM PLR that’s out there just waiting to be tweaked, translated and personalized.

Thanks for this great question Reba!

Now for my next question for you… since you’ve named your site ‘Internet Marketing Boomer’ – Do you see yourself as a Master Translator for the Baby Boomer crowd? How do you think being a Boomer effects how someone wants to learn about making an income on the internet?