Becoming and online writer and making money using article marketing techniques can be overwhelming for the beginner who is trying to find a niche before the writing and marketing even begins. It’s very common for new marketers to give up before they even find a niche because they either over-think it, or get confused by the plethora of conflicting information that exists online.

Luckily, there are basic guidelines that you can use to choose a niche market that will work every time if you choose to follow them.

1. What are your interests?
It’s best to begin with researching topics of interest and seeing if there is anything you can actively write about and promote as an affiliate that you are passionate about. It’s extremely common for people to burn out quickly when they try to write about and promote a topic, product or service that they have absolutely no interest in whatsoever. There is a lot of work involved in the initial stages of creating successful affiliate campaigns and you don’t want to make it extra hard on yourself from the beginning by choosing a topic that you find boring and puts you to sleep every time you try to write about it.

2. Big problems and obsessions
How often do the people in this niche think about their problem, obsession, hobby, or interest? Obviously, the more it affects their life, the better. For instance, someone with extreme financial problems will think of their situation on a daily basis, whereas someone who might want to improve their typing skills may only think of it occasionally.

3. Emotion
How emotional are the people in this niche? As with number 2 above, the more emotional they are about their niche, the better. You can tap into those emotions with your online writing.

4. Forums
Are there many forums online that have tons of active users talking about the niche? This is often a good indicator that it is a good one, especially if there are a lot of how-to and problem solving questions.

5. Popularity and cost
What does it cost to get started in this niche and is it one that demands more cost on a regular basis? For instance, a guitar player will have to continually buy new strings, picks, and will often want other gear, accessories, lessons, etc.