It never really occurred to me, but this is going on *offline* too. The next time you’re out browsing around in a tourist town or even doing your weekly grocery shopping at your local market, take time to notice all of the “little guys” who are selling cool specialty goods. Olive oils, cheeses, hand-made chocolate pretzels, yoga trainers, book writing consultants — the sky’s the limit!

Of course, people have been doing this kind of niche work for years. It’s nothing new. These folks are called artisans. But what I’ve noticed lately is artisan goods and services are taking off like wild-fire. There’s greater demand for homegrown and handmade everything.

So what does this have to do with your passive Internet Business and creating multiple streams of income…? Everything!

Just like the pretzel maker and the wine master, you should be thinking just like an artisan in your online business. Here are some quick ideas for how to start thinking more like an artisan and less like a cookie-cutter corporate slimeball…

*Personalize Everything
People love faces and names. They want to put your face and name with the product or service they’re buying. This helps build trust and credibility between two human beings (you the seller and the buyer). Add more personality to your websites by posting your picture or the picture of your staff members in highly visible places. Be sure to keep your bio updated and interesting. People want to know you.

*Interact More With Your Audience
Once people get to know you, they want to know more about you and to stay in touch. Welcome to the wonderful world of *social media.* Get your Facebook marketing rolling! But again, try to keep it personal and real. Not corporate and boring.

*Don’t Be So Uptight
Depending on the market you’re in, it’s probably more likely that you need to be *more relaxed* and interesting and *less professional* and uptight in how you present yourself to your audience. Sure, big flashy websites are impressive but they can also be intimidating and overwhelming. Make sure your logo is interesting. Choose a website design that’s homemade but functional over one that’s sharp and sleek.

Content marketing for your niche is supposed to be fun and engaging. Try incorporating some of these tips into your current approach and see what happens. Spend less time strategizing that next “laser-targeted email campaign” and just sit down right now and hammer out something friendly, approachable, and funny. See what happens.

Remember…

Being an artisan is about being unique and standing out from the crowd.

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