The RUSH Development of Niche Shopping Blogs/Villages

We are all well aware of arbitrage sites that strictly attract “cheap” traffic by any means and then pass it to higher paying channels. These types of sites do well by the simple fact that “users” would rather click on a link than:

1. Click the back button
2. Type in the actual URL of the site they want to visit.

Well, one step up from these ARBITAGE sites, there is a bevy of new blogs that are trying to “cash in”. Don’t get me wrong. These sites are aren't arbitrage; in fact they often engage users and funnel highly targeted traffic onto advertisers. Yet because there are a few, select, very successful ones (see Celebrity Baby Blog for example), there is now a proliferation of “Style” blogs out there….ready to charge advertisers....be weary. Typical signs are Blogs with Big Images in their posts with little text and hardly any user postings. If this is the case, then your advertising dollar can quickly become lost.

For an example of this trend, I thought I’d highlight the development of blogs/websites specifically trying to cater to professional/high income woman/moms who value chic designs and fashion.

Do potential publishers and advertisers “get” that Woman do the surfing and chatting online? I think so! (side note, how many woman go online shopping for “their” men…makes you think?;)).

Here is a sample list of NEW WOMEN shopping blog/sites from big to super small

http://www.divavillage.com/

http://www.glam.com/

http://www.thriftyboutique.blogspot.com/

http://www.celebrity-babies.com/

http://www.poshcravings.com/

http://www.mommieswithstyle.com/

http://www.connectingmoms.com/

http://slavetotarget.blogspot.com/

http://www.ivillage.com/messageboards?ice=iv,mp,rn,mb

http://hotmomsclub.com/

These types of shopping blogs particularly focused on:

Fashion
Celebrities
Moms WAHM

Small mention of the development of social marketing sites check out:
Style Hive
This Next

Now from my experience from the last couple of years of watching this particular market very closely; this is the typical, rough lifecycle you get from a shopping Blog:

1. Beta version. Typically on Blog Spot.
2. Move to a dedicated site or wordpress/typepad
3. Incorporate guest writers or feature writers
4. Splash text ads on both the left and right sides.
5. Start to cover events rather than report on them. Start to create stories or reviews, instead of report on them.
6. Heavily try to develop an email list by attract sign ups. Work with small group of vendors/stores to have “product giveaways” for free ad spots.
7. Incorporate a “Shopping Section”.
8. Use a banner ads service (remember linkshare;))
9. Start to specifically post about where you can get the products they feature (paid testimonals and free samples).
10. Hire there own account sales teams.
11. Actively attract stores/advertisers with relatively low rates for their shopping section banner ads.
12. Then once they have attracted 40-50 stores, positive feedback occurs to the point that advertisers are competing against themselves for banner placement.

Here’s some of the advertising services that allow BLOGGERS to get into the game:

Web Blog Ads
Vibrant Media
Ad Brite
Ads to Go
Kontera

….Oh and of course the almighty Google’s Adsense.

Sample of their Email Campaigns

Posh Carvings Sample Email

So, should you participate? Yes/No. If you can afford the bigger sites, give it a trail period and learn quickly if it is working or not? Yet, ask yourself…have you invested in your own Forum or Blog development?

Heres’ a great example of a Manufacturer that is really getting this:

They have their own Yahoo Forum (developed by customers)
G Diapers Yahoo Forum

And there own Blog:
G Diaper Typepad Blog