We’ve all at some point heard the adage of ‘quality over quantity’. Usually, we are not hearing it for a good reason, but as a reminder to ‘be happy with what you have.’
In the case of niche websites, however, it means something a little different.
We know about the giant social networks: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. like we all know about big cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. But let’s say you LOVED cheese. Sure, you can probably find tons of good cheese in most big cities, but Madison, Wisconsin is near lots of local cheesemakers and may be a better destination for you if you are looking for all things cheese.
Niche social media websites are like Madison for cheese seekers; they are small places enthusiasts of [fill in the blank] are most likely to be. If you sell something to these enthusiasts, you are also more likely to talk to a potential paying customer on these websites than some of the larger websites.
What are some examples of niche websites?
If we think of something we want to connect about, we can probably find a niche website for it.
So here’s my random list of things (yes, I made this up with no reference to Google when I did):
microbrew beer
amateur woodworking
gymnastics coaching
first editions of books
Hey look what I found:
Untappd gets points for reminding us all there are still people with Blackberries.
I appreciate that this social network didn’t spend a ton of time on design. Hey, it gets the job done!
I bet if I made a login (and was actually a gymnastics coach), I could find other gymnastics coaches.
Two million people doesn’t seem like a lot compared to Facebook’s one billion but, hey, it’s still actually a lot.
OK, you made your point, there is a social network/niche website for probably everything. How do I find them?
Well, you aren’t gonna find many with an attitude like that! Kidding.
Google searching whatever term plus ‘social network’ is a good place to start. Thinking of some synonyms may actually help, as well as thinking of things a little more broadly (ex: I bet Library Thing has at least a group or forum for bestseller enthusiasts.
Another place to check is blogs in the same arena. Back before social networks, communities of frequent commenters were established on blogs. In some cases, in particular if there’s already a good group hanging out on a blog but not a giant enough group to go set up a whole new website, the comment section of a cool industry blog can lead you to where those people are hanging out. In some cases, it may be the forums of a woodworking website and in others, it may be a private Facebook group.
You can also look at big websites/blogs and see what drives traffic to them on Similarweb.com. For example:
Tools like this can help you see interlinking websites and the overall landscape of a particular industry/topic. Note: websites like this only seem to track websites that have a lot of traffic so this won’t provide you a complete list so much as a way to find more sites.
Why spend time on niche websites if there is less people there?
Because 1) even though there is a smaller group, they are more likely to be engaged 2) because if they are more engaged, they are more likely to buy what you are selling and 3) because there is less activity, your presence is more likely to be noticed.
Am I trying to give you more to do? Of course not. But I am trying to say, give niche a chance, as a participant or a more ‘commercial’ user. You may find yourself saying that quality is better than quantity after all.