It's that time of year again. The moon in the western sky is growing big and orange. The leaves are turning and there's the smell of fireplaces in the air. Still, you have a sense of something intangible lurking around you. You have the vague sense that messages are being relayed to you through some otherworldly force. You swear you heard a faint ethereal whisper say:
"Armpits. You're missing the armpits".
What was that? Halloween jitters? Is that your inner-child spouting off again? Who is that nagging banshee screaming at you from behind the walls? That voice is the voice of missed financial opportunity. It is the specter of the untapped Niche.
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"If you explore human sexuality, you will see the Adult Internet has barely brushed the surface in serving their audience." |
What exactly is a Niche? My philosophy professor used to respond to questions like these with this: "How long is a piece of string"?
The dictionary definition of Niche is "specialized market". All good and fine, but this does not help the adult webmaster understand the word when they encounter it. They've read that Niche content and sponsors do well in porn. They get more than confused when they peruse specific TGP submission pages or porn search directories. Everyone's definition of Niche is different. There are as many variations of opinion on "what is Niche" as there are Niches. Is gay a Niche? Is the teen market a Niche, or do they fit into the Babe category? Niche does not mean Fetish but Fetish is a Niche.
I could type unending paragraphs of text in an effort to explain the complexities and rules as they apply to the Adult Niche market. But the voices are calling. They are telling me I am blocking my chi. They appear before my monitor-fried eyes and haunt me with these words:
"Armpits. You're missing what's right under your nose. Can't you smell it you idiotic meat sack"!?
I think to myself the "spirits" have been under the ground too long. I think what do these voices mean? Are they telling me I am wasting my time? Are they telling me to stop pursuing existing Niche perceptions? Are my otherworldly guides pointing me in a new direction? Then I feel a cold rush of air and a smack up the side of my head.
Undeveloped Niches! I must promote lesser-known kinks in sexual behavior. The mysterious voices that were haunting me were the energy that comes from unrealized fantasy. Sure, there are foot lovers and bondage players galore. Peeing pictures sell sign-ups but has it ever occurred to you that images of cocks in armpits sell too? Did you know that instead of begging a model to let you tie her up, you could smile at her and say "Get in the bunny suit"?
There are people achieving sexual pleasure in ways that you may never fathom. Just because they don't get the attention of say, a golden shower lover, doesn't mean you should ignore them. They have money. They are looking for a private way to get their jollies as much as the next Joe. If their approach to sex is legal and consensual, they are a viable Niche. If you explore human sexuality, you will see the Adult Internet has barely brushed the surface in serving their audience.
I mentioned armpits and bunny suits because they are prime examples of underreported interests that get some people sexually excited.
There are many folks that find the pit of the arm to be more sexually arousing than any other body part. They fit into a psychosexual group known as paraphilia. Paraphilia is a blanket term for those that get turned-on by acts or objects that are not considered the norm.
The norm is dependent on the culture and time of history. Right now, making love to a pit may sound "out of the norm". Two hundred years ago, lady's elbows and ankles were taboo for viewing by respectable society. Virgins ran around (their areolae peeking out of their empire gowns) with their ankles covered. By today's western standards, many are horrified at teen belly-button exposure. They would faint dead away if they knew exactly how their precious forefathers dressed their innocent daughters. The psychiatric profession has removed numerous sexual behaviors out of their "deviation" and "disorder" categories. They know what we should all know. Kink is a matter of perspective.
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My point is, if you take the time to visit a few informative websites, you will find a good 30% of the world's population practice sex in "out of the norm" ways. The usual Niche suspects like bondage, peeing or feet are the tip of the iceberg sexually.
There are plushies that love stuffed animals in an active, penetrating way. You will discover frotteurism, which is arousal, derived from rubbing against strangers. You know that porn surfers love pictures, but did you know a pictophile can only achieve orgasm by viewing pictures? Your puffy nipple Niche site might be getting hits from nipple lovers. Have you ever considered you could also be getting uniques from partialism lovers that are after your nice, clear photos of armpits?
There are forms of sexual expression I choose not to deal with. Of course, I will never condone CP or other uncooperative forms of sexual activity. That's the point I am trying to make.
When you hear the word Niche, it doesn't have to mean something icky or illegal. If you don't want to make money by selling stuff you find abhorrent...you don't have to. A Niche means a specialized market and there are so many being ignored and undersold. If you want to quell the ghost-like voices of unfulfilled sexual desire, you have to do the research. The ghost of opportunity you didn't take will haunt you less, if you visit these sites:
Society for Human Sexuality
(http://www.sexuality.org)
This site celebrates all the wonderful ways humans work their groove thang. From guides on BDSM to swinging, this place features "sex positive" descriptions of Niche-type lovers.
Xrefer
(http://www.xrefer.com)
My favorite, new site! This is a
search engine designed specifically for research. Type in a term like "fetishism" and you get wonderful encyclopedic results!
The Illustrated Book of Sexual Records
(http://www.world-sex-records.com)
This website is like a sex almanac.
You can learn about the origins of words like sadist and masochist. You will marvel about topics such as "what is the most used masturbation fantasy"? Packed full of historical references, this site is also fun as hell!
The variations on what is considered sexy are endless. Typical Niche terms like spanking, peeing, bondage and mature have been possessed by the demons of mediocrity. Don't let the thought of looking into the dark corners of sexual pleasure spook you. Get scared by the fact that tens of thousands of other adult webmasters are selling the same Niche content as you.
Boo!