Niche blogging

According to Wikipedia, “Niche blogging is the act of creating a blog with the intent of using it to market to a particular niche market. While it could be argued that all blogs are, in some form, a niche blog, the term as it applies to marketing refers to a particular kind of blog.”

Neither blogging nor niche marketing is a new concept. However, only in recent years has the concept of a niche blog come into being.

Usually, niche blogs will contain advertisements of some sort (pay-per-click or products or both). In some cases, the purpose of the niche blog is to incite the reader into visiting another website which may then attempt to sell the reader a product or service.

Niche blogs are sometimes referred to as splogs, but this is a misnomer. Even though the desired end result for the niche blogger is to make money, the niche blog itself often contains valuable information. Most pay-per-click advertising is content-sensitive, so it is vital to the niche blogger to have useful content that is related to the chosen niche.

Thanks to Mitch Joel for bringing to my attention a recent study conducted by BuzzLogic. According to the study, more than half of blog readers said they find blogs useful for purchase information. The study was based on an online survey of more than 2,200 Internet users conducted in August of 2008.

It found that among those users who find blog content useful for product decisions, 56% said blogs with a niche focus and topical expertise serve as key sources of information. The top categories in which users find blogs useful for purchase decisions are technology products (31%), media and entertainment (15%), games and sporting goods (14%), travel (12%), automotive (11%) and health services (10%). The study also found that 40% of blog readers have taken action as a result of viewing an ad on a blog.

So what does this mean?  Well a number of things if you think about it;

1. Niche blogs are needed – enough of the massive Engadget type review sites, let’s start developing blogs with niche topics like “Microwave Ovens with Blue Light Screens” or “50 inch Plasma Televisions made by Companies that start with ‘S’”
2. Advertisers might want to start looking at advertising on Blogs as YES, many still do not
3. Product and Service companies need to be nice to bloggers, as they like traditional media DO impact on consumer behavior (not that every auto manufacturer needs to give a car to every automotive blogger, but….)

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3 Responses to “Niche blogging”

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1. James H. says:

   October 28, 2008 at 9:11 pm

   Niche blogging doesn’t have to be about marketing (that is, selling), right? My blog could be a niche blog and I don’t sell anything. Yet, I hope to expand my readership…

   Thanks for the post!

   James H.
   http://serviceafol.blogspot.com/
2. Golda says:

   March 25, 2009 at 10:00 pm

   It sounds like you’re creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place
3. datafeedr reviews says:

   March 8, 2010 at 8:39 am

   Beginners at internet marketing are for sure doomed to failure if they try to start an internet marketing business without a nice plan or strategy. |Internet marketing isn’t much different than marketing an offline business. Marketing online utilizes the internet to advertise a product or service to a vast audience through sites, blogs or paid advertising just as a business owner would market their store using the Yellow Pages, TV Ads, Billboards, etc.