Sizing up the competition
Evaluating the market in which you are about to launch a new offering is an important stage of developing a product/service.
MelbinNoir appeals to a niche market: a community fore mostly defined by its love of jazz and live performance in Melbourne. This community consists primarily of Melbourne residents, 20-40 years of age who live in the city’s inner suburbs like Fitzroy, Brunswick and Carlton.
But what are the secrets to appealling to a niche market?
A great example of a company who has experienced resounding success in this venture is Sydney-based new media company Sound Alliance. Their success can be attributed to the focus they place on various niche music communities and offer a suite of websites tailored to the specific interests and needs of each group.
Sites include:
www.inthemix.com.au- a dance and house focused site
www.fasterlouder.com.au- rock and mainstream
www.samesame.com.au- a national gay and lesbian website
www.messandnoise.com - alternative music
Though the target market of each site is different, Sound Alliance offers forums, blogs and groups that connect the community while also providing quality editorial content.
The powerful combination of social networking and editorial content connects community members and the numbers speak for themselves: Mess and Noise has over 5000 contributors and an average site visit time logged at 10 min, with over 16 000 daily unique visitors and 100 000 registered users.
Sound Alliance is a great example of how to establish a sustainable and profitable business model from niche web communities.
Our group can learn a lot from Sound Alliances’ example. I believe that an online jazz directory in Melbourne fills a gap in what is currently on offer. Our site needs to capitalise on the interests and passions of a niche community and communicate with those consumers in credible and effective ways. Quality content and the facilitation of social connections between members to build credibility and loyalty.
