Find your niche business sector For The Internet Matrix and beyond
We've been working in and around the internet and new media now for the better part of two decades and have continued to ramp up our coverage of this most interesting, dynamic and competitive sectors.
I guess you could say we have carved out our own niche (or specifically - niches). More on that later.
So, what is a niche market anyway? It's a specific topic or topics where one can specialize, either in a paid or unpaid capacity - sometimes both.
For example, my background includes crime scene journalism, combat sports, beach sports, lifestyle, big tech (predominantly Australia and Silicon Valley remotely), Australian Army Reserve (Comms), sports management and promotion, creative arts and entertainment management and promotion, and more. That's alot of background and experience, I know. That's a big part of the reason that having just one website, blog and social media channel was not enough for us. We wanted a bigger slice of the action and felt the need to offer more than "just" one site. We usually write about subject matters that we know a lot about - often intel not commonly known to everyone. This helps keep the readership coming back for more.
If you the reader has a vast background also and is looking to get involved in digital and search engine related business, or ramp up, you may like to adopt or dare I say it - copycat to a certain extent (with credit to me) some of my ideas, while putting your own personal stamp and branding iron on it.
For example, the following are websites of ours that also predominantly have blogs, social media channels and so on:
Real Life Examples of niche websites
Media Man Int - our own modest size, international focussed media and digital media company. We cover over a dozen business sectors. Interviews, articles, scoops, even gossip and much more. A mix of full on journalism, gonzo journalism, opinion pieces, trends et al.
Media Man (Australia) - as above but with more of an Australian and Asia Pacific focus.
Australia Sports Entertainment - all about Australian and international sports. Includes health, well-being, training tips, news scoops, videos, interviews and more.
Wrestling News Media - predominantly pro wrestling aka sports entertainment. WWE, AEW, NJPW, NWA, independents and some UFC, ONE Championship, Bellator MMA etc. Articles, interviews, videos, scoops, fighter contracts, media deals, opinion and more.
Cafe News Media - Cafe News and cafe culture, as the name suggests. A focus on Sydney's Eastern Beaches region as well as Melbourne, Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Bali. Google Local Review profile tie-in works a treat every time. Cheers Google.
Casino News Media - casino news, information and trends of course. Vegas, Atlanta City, Florida, Hollywood, Macau, Monico and beyond, with a dash of Casino Royale and James Bond 007 themes thrown in. Shaken, not stirred. Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas, Vegas Baby and some casino king and pit boss feature and interviews.
Hottest On TV - you guessed it. TV aka Television (hopefully not Tell Lie Vision)..Now includes streaming entertainment from the likes of Netflix, Binge, Paramount Plus, WWE Network, FITE TV, NJPW World, PPV (Pay-Per- View), UFC Fight Pass, SBS On Demand, ABC iView, PassionFlix (Tosca Musk), Court TV, Crime TV Network, National Geographic, History Channel, Internet TV on steroids and so it goes on.
Media For Good - good news in and around the media, sports, tech and community sector. Being a former crime scene journalist and social campaigner was the trigger for this. Many other websites copied this, and we don't mind at all. Helping bring transparency and accountability to society and the world. Shining a light or blowtorch I say. Deer in headlights on occasion and when required.
Coastal New Media - anything and everything pertaining to the coast, coastline, beach culture (especially Australia). Best surfing spots, hidden breaks, surfboards, surf and beach fashion and lingo, beach themed movies ala Gidget and so it goes on. Catch the wave. The ripple effect!
Eastern Suburbs Media - Eastern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. Some cross-over with Coastal New Media and Cafe News Media. What's news in these parts? Compliments a Google Local Review profile very nicely. Catch Of The Day mate!
Be unique to stand out!
How can one stand out in a crowded and even super saturated industry, marketplace and world? What makes you and your company or companies truly unique?
For us, we draw upon a few areas. We use significant gonzo journalism themes and influences (thanks Hunter S. Thompson), pro wrestling and MMA influences and banter (we know alot of wrestlers and did some basic training many moons ago), beach bum banter -; having spent much of our life and times around the beach), as well as many references from 'The Matrix', as we are a superfan of sorts. By using a combination of these terms and themes including "insider lingo", our scribes, websites and channels often stand out from the pack. A dash of controversy ever now and again. We got that idea from former wrestling promoter, television executive and author, Eric Bischoff ('Controversy Creates Cash' being his best selling and famous book). Real NWO (New World Order stuff).
Get The Basics Right - All You Can EAT
E - Expert
A - Authority
T - Trustworthy
Become a Go-To person, if you are not already. If something is opinion based, be up-front about it. Opinion pieces are just that. We all have opinions and different life and business experiences. Life and business is full of perceptions and interpretations. This could relate to the good, great and not so much of Google and other big tech firms, "link juice", social media channels, trust in mainstream news, politics and so it goes on. Respect the audience, readership and self. Don't forget the option of becoming a Google Local Guide (for credibility, reach and passion). Google is your friend, remember. Everything matters, just like baking a cake. Get all the ingredients right. Not too many links. Keep adding quality content that the search engines such as Google will love. Keep testing. Choose your social media wisely and be mindful of what you write and put out there. Birds of a feather flock together. Are you a blogger/Blogspot, YouTuber, Twitter, Facebook, or combination hybrid? Does your social media reflect your business? Aim for the best cake humanly possible. The internet has many world class cakes er websites and best of class webby's and experts on all manner of things. Remember, you are writing for the web, not a 1000 page paperback, so keep that in mind. A best selling book may be in your future, but you are a web based businessperson of authority.
References - LinkedIn, website testimonials..
LinkedIn is a big hit for many SEO, marketing and media professionals. Boost your profile and street and industry cred with authentic references. Create a professional LinkedIn profile, and consider having a business branded channel also.
Aim to have strong agency (creative and advertising) contacts that would be sure to recommend you highly if asked. Hard work and quality work pays dividends.
Repeat business is excellent business. No hard-sell required, as they already know how good you are!
Be Honest With Yourself And Your Audience, Customers and Associates
You know what you know, and you don't know what you don't know!
SWAT
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Focus on your strengths. Share your unique and in-depth knowledge built up from years of experience. Don't fall into the trap of pretending you are an expert on everything about websites and internet business, or even sport or elements of pop culture in the world. Specialize. Focus on strengths.
Niche Market (Wikipedia reminder)!
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focused. The market niche defines the product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that it is intended to target. It is also a small market segment. Sometimes, a product or service can be entirely designed to satisfy a niche market. Not every product can be defined by its market niche. The niche market is highly specialized, and aiming to survive among the competition from numerous super companies. Even established companies create products for different niches; Hewlett-Packard has all-in-one machines for printing, scanning and faxing targeted for the home office niche, while at the same time having separate machines with one of these functions for big businesses. (Wikipedia)
Web Basics 101
Meta-tags
Search Engine Optimization
Website Structure
Links to other authoritative destination websites - Wikipedia, IMDb, CIA world and country directory, Google search tools, popular social media channels.
Create quality and Google / search engine friendly and helpful content, just like 'The Big G' aka Alphabet powers that be keep telling us.
Be Courteous and Respectful to clients, associates, other media - everyone.
Be the white knight with white hat mentality. Some moderate amount of grey is acceptable in my view, but don't become the Black Knight with the black hat and black magic Pandora's Box. The web game is challenging enough already without extra dramas.
Keep building upon your technical skills. Google and Google Console is your best friend!
Have backups and a Plan A, B and C. Things can and do go wrong in business and life in general at times. Minimize the risks. Again, focus on core strengths.
Conclusion
Do your best to offer something of value that is useful and helpful. Most businesses supply products and/or services. You are a problem solver to a problem or challenge. You are also a content creator and even a publisher and educator of sorts. This has a high level of responsibility attached. Know your stuff. Hone your craft. Build up credibility. The right audience will find you. Get your basics and foundation strong, and keep building upon it. To succeed you will need to work hard and work smart. The world is your oyster in the giant ocean and Internet Matrix Of Things. Do enough of the right things well and you are setting yourself up for success. Agent Tingle out for now, and back to the webcode soldier.
