Niche Pursuits

How Chris Christensen Built a 2 Million Download Podcast and Six-Figure Travel Brand

Jared Bauman — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:18:37 +0000

In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, I sit down with Chris Christensen to explore the fascinating world of podcasting, travel blogging, and building a unique brand from the ground up.

Chris, a full-time travel journalist, podcaster, and blogger, has been podcasting for nearly 20 years, long before it became mainstream. If you've ever wondered whether starting a podcast could be a valuable addition to your brand, or if you're curious about the real ups and downs of building a successful podcast, this is the episode for you.

Watch the Full Episode

From Silicon Valley to the Podcast Hall of Fame

Chris’s career began in the heart of Silicon Valley, working at both tech giants and small startups. His resume includes names like Apple, IBM, TripAdvisor, and American Express. But alongside his tech career, Chris always carried an entrepreneurial spark.

It was that spark, combined with a love for travel and a fascination with podcasting, that led to the creation of the Amateur Traveler podcast back in July 2005. At the time, podcasting was so new that most people hadn’t even heard of it. Chris was one of only two people at his first podcast conference who wanted to talk about making money from the medium.

What drew him to podcasting was the format itself:

He loved that it was on-demand and fit his schedule.
It provided a direct connection with audiences in a way traditional radio never could.
His background in tech made him curious about new media, and he saw podcasting's potential before most.

Breaking Down the Business: How Chris Monetizes His Podcast

Unlike many hobbyist podcasters, Chris turned his passion into a real business, though he’s quick to point out that it took nearly two decades of consistent effort to get there.

Today, Chris's income streams are impressively diverse:

Podcast Ads: His main podcast, Amateur Traveler, generates $3,000–$5,000 per month from ads, while his faith-based podcast brings in around $2,100 monthly.
Airline Syndication: His show is licensed to airlines for in-flight entertainment, adding another $1,300 per month.
Blog Advertising: Through Mediavine, Chris earns about $1,000 per month across his blogs.
Affiliate Revenue: Primarily driven by accommodation bookings via Stay22, with additional income from tours, Amazon, and other travel-related offers.
Listener Tours: He organizes annual listener-voted trips, blending revenue generation with building deeper audience connections.
Sponsored Travel: Chris often receives fully or partially comped trips from airlines, tourism boards, and tour operators — perks that can be worth $20,000 or more per trip.

It’s taken time, trial, and plenty of mistakes to structure the business this way — but the end result is a reliable, six-figure retirement income that funds the lifestyle he loves.

Lessons Learned: What Chris Would Do Differently

Chris doesn't shy away from sharing what he'd change if he were starting over. His honesty is refreshing and helpful for anyone considering building a brand or podcast.

A few of his biggest lessons include:

Be strategic with your brand name. While “Amateur Traveler” works now, it's not a name people naturally search for.
Don’t let fear hold back monetization. Chris waited years to add more ads, prioritizing listener experience over financial growth, a decision he later reevaluated.
Match your format to your lifestyle. His original plan to only cover personal travels wasn’t sustainable while working full-time, so pivoting to interviews opened up endless possibilities.

These insights alone are invaluable for anyone contemplating launching a podcast or scaling a side project.

The Power (and Challenge) of Podcasting

We also discuss why podcasting remains one of the most personal — and sometimes frustrating — platforms for content creators.

Why podcasting is worth the effort:

It builds trust and long-term connections with listeners.
Podcast audiences often engage for 30, 50, or even 60 minutes at a time — unheard of on most platforms.
It unlocks opportunities, from partnerships and travel to speaking engagements and media features.

Podcasting can be slow to gain traction, but for those who stick with it, the rewards go beyond just downloads or revenue. As Chris shared, opportunities like international travel, paid speaking gigs, and even an invite to the White House all came his way, thanks to the credibility his podcast established.

Final Thoughts

If you’re wondering whether podcasting could complement your business or brand, Chris’s story is the perfect example of what's possible — with patience, consistency, and a clear understanding of your unique value.

Here are a few key takeaways to consider:

Podcasting requires patience, but few platforms build as much listener loyalty.
Monetization is achievable with a mix of ads, affiliate income, partnerships, and creative revenue streams.
Be intentional with your branding and format from the start.
Don’t be afraid to evolve your business model over time.
The personal connections and unique opportunities that come from podcasting are hard to replicate anywhere else.

Links & Resources

Learn more about Chris on Amateur Traveler

The post How Chris Christensen Built a 2 Million Download Podcast and Six-Figure Travel Brand appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Dominik Sobe Grew HelpKit to $10K/month

Jared Bauman — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:18:17 +0000

In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Dominik Sobe and I dive deep into his journey with HelpKit, a SaaS product he developed to transform Notion into a powerful help center platform.

With over 400 customers and steadily growing monthly recurring revenue, Dominik shares his insights on launching a successful SaaS product, finding product-market fit, navigating pricing, and understanding your customer base. This episode is packed with tactical advice for anyone looking to build or grow their own SaaS business.

Watch the Full Episode

Getting Started with HelpKit

Dominik's path to HelpKit was far from conventional. Originally from Austria, Dominik started his career in business and economics but stumbled into the world of coding by chance. What began as a hobby — building a mobile app for personal use — led him to the realization that he could create his own software products.

His early entrepreneurial efforts were diverse but unsuccessful until one pivotal moment when he needed a better help center for his app. That’s when he turned to Notion and had the idea to turn it into a platform for creating professional help centers.

HelpKit's birth: Dominik wanted a better help center for his app, which led him to use Notion’s editor.
Simplifying the process: HelpKit was designed to make creating help centers easy, accessible, and professional, using Notion as the backbone.

Now, HelpKit is a thriving business with 400 customers across various industries, from universities to large enterprises. HelpKit allows users to create help center websites using Notion, making the process easy and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Dominik’s decision to build a self-service SaaS tool, with a focus on simplicity, has been a key factor in its success.

The Struggle for First Customers

One of the toughest challenges for any SaaS founder is finding the first customers. Dominik shares that this stage was a grind, requiring him to reach out to dozens of potential customers manually.

Cold emailing, direct messaging, and attending to feedback were all part of the early hustle. For HelpKit, it wasn’t just about building a product — it was about fighting for every single customer in the beginning.

Cold emailing and direct outreach: Dominik sent personalized emails to people he had interacted with before, offering them the product and asking for feedback.
Building in public: Sharing his journey and product updates on platforms like Twitter helped build visibility and create word-of-mouth marketing.
Engaging on launch platforms: HelpKit was also listed on platforms like Product Hunt, which helped boost its initial traction.

Dominik stresses the importance of doing things that don’t scale in the beginning, acknowledging that no one will just come to your product without the effort of building relationships and gaining trust.

Finding Product-Market Fit

Achieving product-market fit is crucial for SaaS products, and Dominik explains that HelpKit found its sweet spot early on, mainly because it solved a real problem for Notion users. He understood that businesses needed a simple, efficient way to manage help centers without relying on clunky, complicated software.

Simplicity and value: The product resonated because it simplified help center management using a platform customers were already familiar with.
Continuous feedback: The product evolved over time, based on the feedback of early users, which allowed it to better align with customer needs.
Customer-centric development: HelpKit grew by continuously listening to customers and improving based on their feedback, such as adding analytics and refining features like the chatbot.

The evolution of HelpKit has been largely shaped by feedback from early customers. Dominik reflects on how small changes — like adding analytics to track knowledge base performance — were essential for growing the product to fit customer needs. Early on, it wasn’t about creating a perfect product but rather about aligning with what customers wanted.

Pricing Strategy and Lessons Learned

Pricing is often one of the hardest decisions for any SaaS founder. Dominik took a very data-driven yet instinctual approach to pricing HelpKit. Initially, the pricing was low, but as HelpKit evolved, Dominik realized that the value it provided was worth much more. He eventually raised prices after receiving feedback from customers that the tool was underpriced for the value it provided.

Start low, adjust as you grow: Dominik started with low-priced plans but increased the price once the value became clearer to customers.
Value-based pricing: Pricing was adjusted based on the perceived value of HelpKit, not just its cost to run.
Discounting for yearly payments: HelpKit offers a discount for yearly payments, providing incentives for customers to commit upfront.

Dominik’s journey with HelpKit shows that pricing is not a one-time decision. It requires ongoing adjustments as you learn more about your customers and the value your product offers.

Avoid freemium models: Dominik advises against freemium pricing models for bootstrapped founders, as it can prevent early monetization.
Trial periods: HelpKit offers a 7-day free trial, which Dominik feels works well because it allows customers to experience the product fully before committing.

Side Projects and Lessons from Failure

While HelpKit is Dominik’s main focus now, he’s also worked on a variety of side projects, including FilmTypes, a niche website dedicated to photographic analog film. Despite its success in attracting a large audience and going viral on platforms like Hacker News and Product Hunt, Filmtypes never achieved the monetary success Dominik hoped for.

Filmtypes' success: The website gained massive traction, going viral and getting features in major photography publications.
Monetization struggles: Despite its popularity, Dominik couldn’t find a monetization strategy that worked. This highlighted the difference between a viral project and a sustainable business.

This experience contrasts with the steady, sustainable growth of HelpKit. Dominik’s story underscores an important lesson in entrepreneurship: not every project needs to go viral to be successful.

While Filmtypes was a hit with its community, it lacked a clear monetization strategy, whereas HelpKit’s ongoing success stems from solving a practical problem and providing consistent value to customers.

Final Thoughts

Dominik's story is a testament to the power of persistence, adaptability, and understanding your market. From his initial failures to the success of HelpKit, he’s learned that building a sustainable SaaS product is a journey that requires constant learning and iteration.

The key is not just in having a great product, but in knowing your audience, making the necessary adjustments, and always being open to feedback.

For aspiring SaaS founders, the lessons are clear:

Focus on solving a real problem: Find a niche where there is already demand and build a product that provides clear value.
Do the work, even when it’s hard: In the early stages, you’ll need to hustle. Cold outreach, building relationships, and sharing your journey are all part of the process.
Iterate quickly and learn from feedback: Your first product might not be perfect, but it’s important to listen to customers and make improvements.
Pricing is an ongoing process: Don’t be afraid to adjust pricing as you gain more insight into the value your product provides.
Embrace failure as part of the journey: Every failed project is an opportunity to learn and grow for your next venture.

Ultimately, Dominik’s experiences remind us that success doesn’t always come from viral moments or quick wins — it comes from consistent effort, smart decisions, and a willingness to learn from both your successes and failures.

Whether you're just starting out or trying to refine an existing product, the insights shared in this episode can serve as a blueprint for building a successful SaaS business.

Links & Resources

Learn more about HelpKit
How does RedReach work?
Check out FilmTypes

The post How Dominik Sobe Grew HelpKit to $10K/month appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Tyler Bishop Explains How First-Party Data Can Add 15% to Ad Revenue

Jared Bauman — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:06:11 +0000

In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Tyler Bishop and I dive deep into the changing landscape of digital advertising, particularly focusing on the depreciation of third-party cookies and the growing importance of first-party data.

We explore how this shift is reshaping the ad model for publishers, especially as search and social media traffic become more challenging to rely on. Tyler walks us through the history of cookies, explains how first-party data is revolutionizing ad sales, and gives valuable insight into how publishers can leverage their own audience data to thrive in this new environment.

Watch the Full Episode

The Decline of Third-Party Cookies

Third-party cookies, once considered the gold standard for digital advertising, are being phased out. Originally, these cookies were designed to track users across the web, enabling advertisers to target specific audiences based on their browsing history.

However, as privacy concerns have grown, tech giants like Apple and Google have taken steps to block third-party cookies, leading to the eventual downfall of this tracking method.

The shift in the ad landscape: Third-party cookies are no longer a reliable tool for tracking user behavior across the web.
Apple’s decision to block third-party cookies: Apple’s move to block cookies on its devices was a game-changer, forcing advertisers and publishers to rethink their strategies.
The impact on the industry: As a result, the market is seeing a splintering of responses and adaptations, with publishers needing to shift to new methods of collecting and using data.

The Rise of First-Party Data

As third-party cookies lose their effectiveness, first-party data — information directly collected from users—has emerged as a crucial asset for publishers.

Unlike third-party data, which is shared across platforms and providers, first-party data is collected by publishers themselves, often through actions like email sign-ups or form submissions. This direct connection to the audience makes it a powerful tool for targeted advertising.

What is first-party data?: First-party data includes information like emails, phone numbers, and other personal details directly provided by the user.
How first-party data works: By collecting and using this data, publishers can target their audience without relying on intermediaries like Google or Facebook.
The publisher’s advantage: First-party data allows publishers to maintain control over their audience and potentially earn more from advertisers by offering a more direct line to high-quality, engaged users.

The Changing Ad Model for Publishers

With the shift from third-party cookies to first-party data, the advertising model is evolving. In the past, publishers relied on ad networks and exchanges that aggregated audience data and placed ads programmatically.

However, as advertisers begin to recognize the value of first-party data, publishers now have an opportunity to bypass intermediaries and directly sell their audience data to advertisers.

Higher bid prices: Advertisers are willing to pay more for first-party data because it’s seen as higher quality and more targeted than third-party data.
The value of audience control: By maintaining control over their audience, publishers can increase the value of their ad inventory, leading to higher CPMs (cost per thousand impressions).
Creating a self-sustaining model: Publishers can use their first-party data to build a more sustainable revenue model by cutting out middlemen and working directly with advertisers.

Practical Steps for Publishers

For publishers, the transition to a first-party data-driven model may seem daunting, but it offers significant long-term benefits. The first step is to begin collecting first-party data, whether through email sign-ups, newsletter subscriptions, or creating member accounts.

While the process of setting up systems to manage and sell this data can be complex, there are tools and services available to help streamline the process.

Start collecting first-party data: Encourage your audience to sign up for newsletters or create accounts on your site to build a list of first-party data.
Leverage tools for easier implementation: Platforms like Ezoic’s ezID simplify the process of hashing and storing first-party data, making it easier for publishers to engage in programmatic ad sales.
Focus on audience engagement: By building a strong relationship with your audience, you can increase their lifetime value and make your site more attractive to advertisers.

The Future of Advertising and First-Party Data

As digital advertising continues to evolve, first-party data will play an increasingly vital role in the success of publishers. With search and social media traffic becoming less predictable, publishers who focus on building and nurturing their own audience will be in a better position to thrive.

The key is to start collecting and using first-party data now, even if your list is small. Over time, as your audience grows, so will the value of the data you collect.

The importance of starting now: The sooner publishers begin collecting first-party data, the better positioned they will be for the future.
A shift in mindset: Publishers need to think beyond just traffic and focus on building a loyal, engaged audience that they can monetize directly.
Adapting to change: As the advertising landscape continues to change, those who adapt to these new methods of data collection and monetization will be best equipped to succeed.

Final Thoughts

The advertising landscape is shifting, and publishers must evolve to keep pace with these changes. As third-party cookies fade away, first-party data has emerged as the key to maintaining control over an audience and boosting ad revenue.

While this transition may seem complex, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. Publishers who begin collecting and using first-party data now will be better positioned to thrive in the future, even as traffic from traditional channels like Google and social media becomes more unpredictable.

Seize the opportunity: Now is the time to start collecting first-party data, whether through email sign-ups or creating user accounts.
Adapting to change: Embracing these changes now will allow publishers to build a more sustainable and profitable business model.
Future-proofing your revenue: As the ad industry shifts, those who control their own audience data will have a significant advantage over those who rely on third-party platforms.

In short, the future of digital advertising lies in the hands of publishers who are willing to adapt and leverage their own audience data. The transition may take time, but with the right strategies and tools in place, publishers can turn this challenge into an opportunity for long-term success.

Links & Resources

Learn more about Ezoic
His website Not Tyler

The post Tyler Bishop Explains How First-Party Data Can Add 15% to Ad Revenue appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How LaShonda Brown Scaled a $50/mo Subscription into a Six-Figure Business

Jared Bauman — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:03:31 +0000

In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, LaShonda Brown, founder of Bootstrap Biz Advice, and I discussed her entrepreneurial journey and how she's built a successful business with a relatively small but engaged audience.

From creating a YouTube channel to launching a membership program, LaShonda shares practical strategies that have helped her thrive in a bootstrapped environment.

Watch the Full Episode

Growing a YouTube Channel Without a Massive Following

LaShonda's journey began with video production and marketing consulting, but she transitioned into creating educational content for small business owners. One of the key drivers behind her YouTube success was finding strategic brand partnerships early on.

LaShonda partnered with platforms like Canva and Flowdesk, becoming a verified expert on both.
These partnerships provided validation and new clients while allowing her to create content focused on tools that she loved and used.
Her affiliate marketing efforts played a crucial role in growing her audience, as she drove traffic to tools her followers found useful.

Despite not having millions of subscribers, LaShonda is generating six figures from a relatively small community. She emphasizes that building a business with an engaged audience, rather than a large one, is possible with the right approach.

The Power of Brand Partnerships

One of LaShonda's most valuable lessons was the importance of forming brand partnerships. She highlights how these partnerships can elevate your credibility and bring in additional revenue streams.

LaShonda used affiliate marketing not only to promote products but also to validate her position as an expert.
By helping companies like Canva and Flowdesk with content, she gained exposure and more business opportunities.
For those just starting out, she advises focusing on tools that genuinely work for you and creating content that showcases them.

These partnerships didn’t just increase LaShonda’s income — they also helped her grow her platform. By collaborating with brands, she was able to build a steady stream of revenue from the start.

How LaShonda Grew Her Business and Membership Program

As her YouTube channel gained momentum, LaShonda decided to expand into memberships to provide further value to her community. This move was driven by a desire to connect more deeply with her audience and create a space for ongoing learning.

LaShonda’s membership program has two tiers: a $10 monthly tier for the workshop library and a $50 tier for coaching and deeper support.
She has found success in keeping the membership structure simple, with options for monthly, quarterly, or annual payments.
About 70% of members are in the higher $50 tier, with the rest at the $10 tier, which allows for easy upgrades as their needs grow.

This approach has created a sustainable revenue model for LaShonda's business. By focusing on the needs of her community, she provides real value while ensuring that members can scale their involvement with her over time.

Tips for Content Creation and Repurposing Across Platforms

Creating content consistently can be overwhelming, but LaShonda has found systems to streamline her process. With nearly 400 YouTube videos under her belt, she has developed a strong content creation strategy.

She focuses on SEO-driven content to attract new viewers.
LaShonda also engages with her audience through live streaming, which not only helps her improve her public speaking but also builds a stronger connection with her community.
She repurposes content across multiple platforms, turning YouTube videos into Instagram carousels, LinkedIn posts, and even email newsletters.

Repurposing content has allowed her to reach new audiences without constantly creating new material. This strategy saves time while ensuring that the content she produces gets the attention it deserves.

Building a Membership from Scratch

If you're thinking about starting a membership program, LaShonda shares some important insights from her own experience. She advises entrepreneurs to start small and test the waters before committing to a large-scale launch.

She began her membership program on a low-cost platform, using it as a proof of concept before migrating to a paid platform.
LaShonda emphasizes the importance of building a community that genuinely wants the content and support you're offering.

She suggests that you shouldn’t overcomplicate things. Keep the process simple and focus on delivering value. If your audience sees the benefit, they’ll continue to support your business in the long term.

Final Thoughts

One of the key takeaways from our conversation was the importance of building relationships, both with brands and within your community. LaShonda advocates for a mix of online and offline efforts to strengthen connections. Whether it's sending thank-you gifts or hosting live events, these tangible actions help create lasting relationships that contribute to sustainable growth.

For those just starting out, LaShonda stresses the importance of research. Understanding your market and finding your unique voice is critical to standing out and building a business that resonates with your audience.

In conclusion, LaShonda’s approach to bootstrapping a business proves that you don’t need a huge following or massive capital to succeed. With the right strategies, including forming brand partnerships, creating valuable content, and building a membership community, entrepreneurs can thrive, even with limited resources.

Links & Resources

Learn more about LaShonda Brown

The post How LaShonda Brown Scaled a $50/mo Subscription into a Six-Figure Business appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Ryan Atkinson Achieved Six-Figure Success with Outbound Strategy

Jared Bauman — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 13:06:46 +0000

In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Ryan Atkinson and I discuss how he transformed Spacebar Visuals from a new venture in 2023 to a thriving, six-figure business in just two years. Ryan shares his journey, the importance of outbound outreach, and the exact tools and strategies he's used to fuel his rapid growth.

Watch the Full Episode

From Corporate to Entrepreneur: The Spacebar Visuals Journey

Ryan's entrepreneurial story began with a clear vision: work when, where, and with whom he wanted. Raised in a small town in Iowa, he spent time at HubSpot before moving to Austin and starting Spacebar Visuals. His passion for video marketing and B2B sales drove him to create a business that would help software companies produce impactful video content, such as explainer videos and product demos.

Background: Ryan’s first entrepreneurial itch came from being around small business owners. After working at HubSpot and gaining invaluable sales experience, he co-founded Spacebar Visuals in 2023 with the goal of serving businesses in the video marketing space.
Initial Struggles: In the early days, Ryan faced the challenge of landing clients. While they experienced a few lucky wins in their first month, the following months were filled with uncertainty and growth pains.

The Power of Outbound Outreach

One of the key elements in Spacebar’s success has been its outbound approach. Instead of waiting for inbound leads, Ryan used his experience at HubSpot to craft sequences of cold emails to potential clients.

Tech Stack: Ryan uses tools like Apollo.io for list building, HubSpot for email sequences, and Instantly.ai for domain warming. With just $500-700 a month in outbound costs, Spacebar has seen impressive results.
Cold Outreach: With a focus on B2B software companies, the team sends targeted emails, LinkedIn messages, and marketing emails. Ryan emphasizes the importance of having multiple domains to avoid deliverability issues and recommends always including a direct call to action, such as scheduling a call.

By using a combination of personalized outreach and a solid tech stack, Ryan was able to generate significant revenue in the business’s early stages. His commitment to relentless action led to initial success and growth, allowing him to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

Overcoming the Hardships of Entrepreneurship

Ryan’s story is not without its struggles. Like many entrepreneurs, he faced difficult months, battling stress and doubts about his company’s future. However, through persistence and a strong focus on cash flow, he overcame these challenges.

Stress and Struggles: Q4 2024 was a particularly tough period, but Ryan pushed through and ended the year strong, with revenues increasing significantly by the first quarter of 2025.
Growth Mindset: Despite these challenges, Ryan's ability to adapt and continue learning has been crucial. He constantly revisits his approach, whether that’s tweaking offers, adjusting pricing strategies, or even shifting his role in the company.

The Key to Spacebar’s Success

Spacebar Visuals’ success is grounded in a few critical decisions: focusing on outbound marketing, understanding their ideal customer profile (ICP), and never shying away from testing new offers.

Offer Evolution: Ryan shared how Spacebar initially offered a low-ticket service but soon raised prices to match the value they were delivering. Today, their packages range from $7,000 to $12,000, and they focus on high-quality, high-value video marketing.
Diversifying Outbound Efforts: Moving forward, Spacebar is looking at diversifying beyond outbound. Although their outbound approach has been successful, Ryan wants to ensure the business isn’t reliant on one channel.

Looking Ahead: What's Next for Spacebar Visuals?

As Spacebar Visuals continues to grow, Ryan is focusing on expanding the business while maintaining the personalized approach that has worked so well so far. The company is already on track to surpass its revenue goals for 2025, and Ryan has clear plans to diversify its outreach strategy further.

Expansion Beyond Outbound: While outbound outreach has been the cornerstone of Spacebar’s growth, Ryan is exploring other avenues to reach potential clients. He’s considering adding paid media to his marketing mix and strengthening the company's content strategy to build additional brand awareness.
Building a Sustainable Business: As Spacebar grows, Ryan is also focused on creating more recurring revenue streams. While video production isn’t typically a subscription-based service, he’s looking into ways to offer longer-term contracts or ongoing video needs for clients, which would create a more stable and predictable cash flow.

Ryan’s focus on long-term sustainability and adaptability positions Spacebar Visuals for continued success. He’s not just looking to ride the wave of growth—he’s preparing for what’s next by diversifying his approach and refining operations to ensure the business can thrive even as it scales.

Final Thoughts

For those looking to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, Ryan’s advice is simple: take action. He stresses that ideas alone are not enough; the key to success is execution. Don’t wait for the perfect idea—just start, learn along the way, and adjust as needed.

Take Action: The most significant difference between a “wannabe-preneur” and an entrepreneur is action. Ryan urges aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace the process and push forward, even in the face of adversity.

Spacebar Visuals is a great example of how outbound outreach, persistence, and adaptation can lead to business success. If you’re looking to grow a business in a competitive market, taking notes from Ryan's journey could be incredibly valuable.

Links & Resources

Learn more about Spacebar Visuals
Catch him hosting the UpFlip Podcast

The post How Ryan Atkinson Achieved Six-Figure Success with Outbound Strategy appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Jay Clouse Turned a 200-Member Community into 6-Figure Revenue

Jared Bauman — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:58:47 +0000

In this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Jay Clouse and I discuss what it really means to convert traffic and audience engagement into a thriving, profitable community. Jay, the founder of Creator Science, is a prominent voice in the creator economy.

With a lean team, he manages a high-performing membership community, a successful podcast, and a twice-weekly newsletter — all while staying highly engaged with his audience.

Jay’s story isn’t just about content creation; it's about designing intentional systems that turn fleeting engagement into lasting, monetizable relationships. In our conversation, we focused less on how to drive traffic and more on how to do something incredibly valuable with that traffic once you’ve got it.

Watch the Full Episode

From Product Manager to Creator Scientist

Jay’s path into the creator economy didn’t start with a blog or a YouTube channel. It started in the world of tech.

After helping build and sell a ticketing startup, Jay transitioned from a leadership role to a product management position at a healthcare startup.
Realizing the lifestyle and mission didn’t fit, he left with no immediate plan, choosing to freelance and explore digital creation.
What followed was an evolution into content, consulting, and eventually launching what’s now known as Creator Science.

He emphasizes that content, like software, is a product, and approaching it with that mindset has been a key differentiator.

What Is Creator Science?

Creator Science is Jay’s umbrella brand for his work helping creators grow through experimentation and systems thinking.

It includes a podcast, two newsletters per week, regular YouTube content, and a tight-knit community called The Lab.
The Lab is not a bolt-on product, it’s the heart of his business and his primary revenue source.
In 2024, Creator Science pulled in $830,000 in revenue, with about 50% of that coming from the membership community alone.

Jay’s approach is highly strategic and data-driven, with a focus on meaningful attention over vanity metrics.

Why The Lab Works: Designing a Community to Stay Small and Valuable

Jay’s community model bucks a lot of trends. Instead of aiming for scale, he aims for depth.

The Lab is designed to remain small and intimate, initially capped at 200 members.
Entry requires an application, and Jay only offers annual memberships, no monthly options.
He aims to preserve closeness and reduce churn while optimizing for long-term value over short-term sign-ups.

Rather than creating a revolving door of members, he builds a space where relationships and experimentation drive growth and retention.

The Power of the Annual Membership Model

Jay’s reasoning behind annual memberships is both strategic and psychological.

Monthly memberships create frequent opt-out opportunities, increasing churn risk.
Annual members have more time to discover the value of the community and build relationships.
The up-front commitment acts as a filter for serious, engaged participants.

He reports a 66% year-over-year renewal rate, solid numbers for a membership-focused business with a small but strong user base.

A Data-Driven Content Machine

Jay is prolific, publishing:

Two newsletters per week
A podcast episode each week
Multiple YouTube videos each month
Daily posts on platforms like LinkedIn, X, and Threads

His success isn’t due to a massive team, it’s due to consistency and systems.

Jay and his wife are the only full-time employees.
He leans on a small team of contractors for video, audio, design, and admin tasks.
His pace is carefully calibrated to be sustainable while maximizing output.

Discovery vs. Relationship Platforms

One of the biggest takeaways from our chat is Jay’s framework for content strategy.

Discovery platforms (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok) bring new people in.
Relationship platforms (email, podcasts, community) keep them close.
The goal is to use discovery platforms to feed relationship platforms where real monetization happens.

For Jay, everything starts with email. Social media and YouTube came later after his foundational systems were in place.

Is a Community Right for You?

Jay offers a few questions for creators considering a membership model:

Are you ready to be involved and available to your members?
Does your audience have the discretionary income for a paid membership?
Is there a strong enough reason for members to stick around for the long haul?

He also cautions against underpricing your community. $20/month might feel affordable, but you’ll need a huge number of members to make it worthwhile, and low-cost memberships often come with high churn.

Naming and Positioning Matter

The Lab isn’t just a section of Creator Science, it’s its own product with its own gravity.

Naming the community separately adds credibility and clarity.
It signals that this isn’t just “extra” content, but a focused, standalone experience.
Jay’s branding decisions, from names to product positioning, are always intentional and strategic.

Final Thoughts

Jay Clouse’s approach is a masterclass in turning traffic into something more meaningful and sustainable.

His content strategy focuses on quality attention, not just reach.
His community strategy prioritizes retention, intimacy, and long-term value.
Above all, his product mindset reminds creators that everything they put out — whether it’s a video, email, or Slack channel — should pass the “regret test.”

If you’ve mastered the traffic side of content but struggle with monetization, this conversation offers a blueprint for creating products and communities that last.

Links & Resources

Learn more about Creator Science
Become a member of The Lab

The post How Jay Clouse Turned a 200-Member Community into 6-Figure Revenue appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Forrest Baumhover Recovered $10K in Monthly Traffic

Jared Bauman — Wed, 28 May 2025 13:16:44 +0000

In this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Forrest Baumhover shares an inspiring story of recovery. Forrest’s personal finance website, TeachMePersonalFinance.com, was devastated by Google’s Helpful Content Update (HCU), dropping to ranking for only 16 keywords at its lowest point.

Yet, through persistence, strategic content creation, and smart integration of YouTube, Forrest has rebuilt the site to a point where it now earns around $10,000 per month from ads, including revenue from both the website and a thriving YouTube channel.

This story is not just about SEO tactics or content strategies. It’s about resilience and sticking with a vision, even when the outlook seems bleak. Forrest’s experience provides a roadmap for anyone struggling with sudden traffic drops or algorithm changes, showing how to adapt and come back stronger.

Watch the Full Episode

Forrest’s Background and How the Website Began

Forrest’s journey starts long before TeachMePersonalFinance.com. After a career in the Navy, he transitioned into financial planning and eventually sold his partnership to a financial firm. With a strong foundation in personal finance and years of writing articles for his practice, Forrest wanted to build something of his own. On this site, he could share valuable financial information.

He acquired TeachMePersonalFinance.com from a previous owner who had outsourced low-quality content.
Forrest initially inherited about 150 low-quality articles but brought his own 80+ articles to the table, aiming to improve and grow the site.
His approach combined learning SEO tools like Ahrefs with a focus on writing genuinely helpful content for his audience.

Forrest viewed the site as a “blank enough slate” with some existing brand history but enough room to pivot and create his own direction.

Early Growth and Content Strategy

In the early days, Forrest concentrated on improving existing content while consistently producing new articles — about 12 to 15 per month. The personal finance niche is broad, so he focused on specific areas where he had experience and saw an opportunity:

Tax forms and Social Security forms became key content pillars.
Forrest created a detailed spreadsheet to prioritize which articles to write based on keyword difficulty and audience needs.
His goal was to cover complex financial topics step-by-step, helping readers navigate confusing tax forms with clarity.

This thoughtful approach helped build traction, but the real challenge was just ahead.

The Impact of Google’s Helpful Content Update

In September 2023, the Helpful Content Update hit. Forrest describes this period as “devastating” for the site’s Google rankings. From peaking at around 14,000 keywords, the site fell to ranking for only 16 keywords by summer 2024.

Despite the drop in Google rankings, Forrest noticed his site’s overall analytics still showed growth year-over-year.
Interestingly, much of his traffic was coming from Bing and even AOL, not Google.
Instead of panicking, Forrest doubled down on content creation and kept faith that Google would eventually recognize the quality of his site again.

His experience highlights how Google’s signals can sometimes be confusing and why persistence is crucial.

Doubling Down on YouTube: A Key to Recovery

During this difficult period, Forrest started a faceless YouTube channel to complement the website’s written content. This became a major factor in the site’s recovery:

Forrest created screen-recorded tutorial videos on tax forms, breaking down complicated topics visually.
He embedded these videos in his articles and linked them back and forth between YouTube and the site.
The YouTube channel grew quickly, reaching over 15,000 subscribers with nearly 700 videos published.

This cross-platform strategy helped drive traffic and engagement, giving Google additional signals about the site’s usefulness.

The Comeback: Recovery and Growth Post-Update

By December 2024, a Google core update began restoring the site’s rankings dramatically. Forrest’s site went from near-zero keywords back to surpassing previous traffic levels.

The combination of consistent article updates, strong internal linking, and YouTube videos helped fuel this rebound.
Forrest also uses tools like Link Whisper to enhance article interlinking.
Mediavine approval in 2024 has helped monetize the traffic with much higher RPMs than before.

Today, Forrest estimates that the website and YouTube together bring in around $10,000 per month, though he notes seasonality affects earnings.

Monetization and Future Plans

Beyond ads, Forrest has begun exploring additional monetization streams:

He recently obtained a tax preparation license and now offers tax return services.
He’s developing one-on-one tax planning sessions targeting DIY tax filers who want expert help.
This expansion leverages his personal finance expertise and aligns well with his content audience.

Forrest’s story shows how content creators can evolve from pure publishing into service-based offerings for diversified income.

Key Takeaways from Forrest’s Recovery Journey

Forrest’s story stands out for several reasons that can inspire anyone dealing with setbacks in their online business:

Staying consistent during difficult times is essential, even when Google’s signals seem contradictory.
Combining written content with complementary YouTube videos can create powerful cross-platform synergy.
Using data and SEO tools to prioritize content and improve linking helps build authority over time.
Diversifying monetization beyond ads, especially in niches with expert knowledge, can boost long-term sustainability.

His experience reinforces that with patience and smart strategy, a site can recover and thrive even after devastating algorithm hits.

Final Thoughts

Forrest Baumhover’s journey with TeachMePersonalFinance.com is a powerful reminder that setbacks don’t have to be the end of the road. The drastic impact of Google’s Helpful Content Update could have sunk the site permanently, but Forrest’s commitment to quality content, paired with a smart YouTube strategy, fueled a remarkable comeback.

For anyone navigating the uncertainty of SEO or algorithm changes, Forrest’s story offers encouragement to stay the course and keep refining your strategy. The integration of different content formats, consistent publishing, and a focus on genuinely helping the audience can eventually pay off, even when it feels like the odds are stacked against you.

If you’re inspired by Forrest’s story, consider how you might diversify your content, experiment with new platforms, or develop complementary services to support your niche. Sometimes, the key to recovery lies not just in what you create, but in how you connect it all together.

links & resources

Learn more about Forrest Baumhover

The post How Forrest Baumhover Recovered $10K in Monthly Traffic appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Mike Hoffmann Built a $100K/Month Business with Vending Machines

Jared Bauman — Wed, 21 May 2025 13:00:11 +0000

In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Mike Hoffmann of Vendingpreneurs and I discuss the fascinating world of vending machines as a side hustle and passive income opportunity.

While our podcast typically covers online businesses, this episode explores a more traditional, offline business model offering incredible profit and scalability potential. Mike shares his expertise on starting a vending machine route, from selecting the right location to managing inventory, and even scaling it to a full-fledged business with hundreds of machines nationwide.

Watch the Full Episode

Getting Started with Vending Machines

Mike's journey into the vending machine business began after an “aha moment” at the airport in 2016. As he waited for a delayed flight, he realized that a bottle of water from a vending machine cost $3, and yet the owner of the machine made money while he slept. This sparked his interest in unattended retail and led him down a path of research into vending machines.

Location is key: Finding the right location is the first step to success. Mike's first machine was placed at an apartment complex in his college town. He learned that modern “micro markets” (luxury grab-and-go setups) were more appealing to businesses than the classic Pepsi or Coke machines.
Finance your machines: Initially, Mike had no idea he could finance vending machines. After learning this, he was able to avoid hefty upfront costs and made his first machine more profitable than his first rental property.

How to Find the Right Locations

Mike emphasizes the importance of foot traffic in selecting the ideal spot for your machines. Whether it's an apartment complex, office building, or urgent care center, the key is to find places where people are in need of snacks and drinks throughout the day.

Pop-ins work best: Mike's tip for securing locations is to do “pop-ins” — visiting businesses in person to pitch the idea. He finds that in-person visits have a much higher success rate than emails or cold calls.
Understanding foot traffic: It’s essential to gauge when and how often people will interact with the machine. For example, urgent care centers can be profitable since patients often wait long periods, making them more likely to buy snacks and drinks.

Types of Machines and Products to Consider

Gone are the days of traditional vending machines. Modern machines are now equipped with advanced technology, including AI-powered inventory tracking, remote management, and even cashless payments. Mike's machines can automatically monitor inventory and provide data on what items sell best.

Smart machines and micro markets: These machines offer more sophisticated options, like larger product offerings and more flexible pricing. For example, a machine might sell everything from protein shakes to laundry pods.
Focus on the location's needs: To determine what products to stock, Mike recommends studying the habits of the people at each location. At one of his apartment complexes, he found that college students preferred health-conscious options like Celsius drinks and protein bars, while older residents preferred more traditional snacks.

The Potential for Profit

The income potential in vending is highly variable, depending on the location and type of machine. Mike's first machine made $600 per month, with $300 in profit. As he scaled up, some machines made significantly more. His best-performing micro market recently made over $22,000 in a single month.

Profit margins: Vending machine businesses typically have high profit margins, especially with modern machines. The cost of goods is usually three times the price, ensuring good returns on each sale.
Scaling to passive income: While starting a vending route requires effort, Mike emphasizes that it becomes much more passive over time, especially when you hire staff to restock machines.

Scaling Your Vending Business

Once you’ve mastered the basics, the next step is scaling. Mike’s advice is to focus on building systems—tracking inventory, revenue, and locations. As your route grows, you can hire others to manage the physical labor, such as stocking the machines.

Buying vending routes: One shortcut to growth is purchasing established vending routes from retiring business owners. By buying routes, you can skip the process of finding new locations and start with a proven, profitable base.
Technology makes it easier: As Mike’s business grew, he incorporated more tech solutions. He even built a platform, VendHub, to streamline the process of sourcing products and managing inventory. With technology making it easier to monitor machines remotely, scaling the business becomes much less time-consuming.

The Risks and Rewards

Like any business, vending has its risks, but Mike believes they are relatively low. The biggest challenge is the upfront work involved in setting up your machines. Once you’ve figured out the right locations and products, the process can become largely passive.

Not a get-rich-quick scheme: While vending machines can be a great passive income source, it's important to understand that success won’t come overnight. Mike advises being prepared for some initial work and facing a few rejections before you find profitable locations.
Risk of theft and wear and tear: Although technology has modernized the vending industry, there are still risks, such as theft or machine malfunctions. These are manageable, especially if you focus on high-quality, new machines with warranties.

Final Thoughts

Vending machines may seem like a “boring” business, but thanks to new technology, they offer an exciting opportunity for passive income and scalability. Whether you're looking for a side hustle or a full-time business, vending can be a great way to earn money while learning valuable skills in operations, marketing, and scaling.

Mike’s experience proves that with the right strategy, the vending machine business can be far from mundane—it’s a dynamic, evolving industry with the potential to scale and generate impressive returns. If you're interested in starting your own vending machine business or scaling an existing one, you can learn more by following Mike's journey through his website and YouTube channel.

Links & Resources

All About Mr. Passive
Learn More About Vendingpreneurs
Mike’s X Account
Watch Mike on YouTube
His Instagram

The post How Mike Hoffmann Built a $100K/Month Business with Vending Machines appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Chris Hutchins Turned a Side Project Into a Thriving Personal Brand

Jared Bauman — Wed, 14 May 2025 13:12:51 +0000

In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits Podcast, Chris Hutchins, host of All the Hacks, and I explore the world of personal branding. Chris shares his incredible journey, from his career in tech and finance to building a highly successful podcast and brand.

We cover everything from growing an audience to monetizing content, offering valuable lessons for anyone interested in building their own personal brand.

Watch the Full Episode

From Silicon Valley to All the Hacks

Chris's career path started in the fast-paced world of Silicon Valley, where he worked in various tech roles, including product management and venture capital. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to start a company, which was eventually acquired by Google, before moving on to another venture at Wealthfront. It was during his time there that Chris launched All the Hacks as a side project.

Initially, Chris had no intention of turning the podcast into a full-time business. However, after seeing early signs of success, such as 21,000 downloads in the first week, he realized the potential of All the Hacks and fully committed to it. This transition from a side project to a full-time endeavor highlights the power of passion and persistence in growing a brand.

Chris’s early success was driven by:

A strong network and connections in the finance and tech industries.
Collaborations with large platforms, which boosted his visibility.
A solid mailing list from his previous ventures.

The Power of Good Content and Consistency

Chris emphasizes the importance of creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience. He notes that while growing a podcast audience is challenging, having a solid foundation of content from day one is crucial for maintaining listener engagement.

By offering valuable insights into topics like travel hacking, personal finance, and optimizing lifestyle, All the Hacks has built a dedicated following. However, Chris also shares the challenges of keeping an audience engaged over time.

He admits to some regrets, particularly in how he approached podcast growth early on. He learned that the key to sustained growth isn’t just about quick wins but about building a community that genuinely values the content you produce. Key takeaways for building a loyal audience:

Ensure your content is high-quality and provides real value to your listeners.
Don’t expect instant results; growth takes time and consistency.
Experiment with different approaches but stay true to your core message.

Expanding Beyond the Podcast

All the Hacks started as a podcast but has since grown into a multi-faceted personal brand. Chris expanded his offerings with a newsletter, affiliate partnerships, and even membership options. One of his most innovative ventures was launching exclusive trips for his listeners, such as guided tours to Iceland.

Despite the successes, Chris is clear about the challenges of juggling multiple revenue streams. While podcast sponsorships are still the primary revenue source, affiliate marketing and the membership program play important roles. Chris is careful not to let these side projects detract from the core focus of his brand, which is the podcast itself.

Expanding a personal brand can include:

Launching a newsletter to complement your podcast content.
Creating premium memberships for exclusive content and perks.
Experimenting with unique ideas, like travel experiences, to deepen audience engagement.

The Importance of Community and Personal Connection

Throughout the interview, Chris highlights the importance of community. Whether through direct interactions with listeners via email or offering exclusive perks through memberships, Chris has built a brand that prioritizes deep connections with his audience.

His membership program, while still evolving, is a space where listeners can access exclusive tools, resources, and even direct answers from Chris himself. Despite that, one of the key challenges Chris faced was managing the expectations of his growing community while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

He reflects on the importance of creating boundaries and not overcommitting to every new idea that comes his way. For him, it’s about finding the right balance between growth, revenue, and personal fulfillment. Tips for building a community-driven brand:

Engage directly with your audience through Q&A sessions or personalized content.
Prioritize quality interactions over quantity, especially as your community grows.
Be transparent about what you can offer and set realistic expectations.

Navigating the Challenges of Monetization

Chris also discusses the challenges of monetizing a personal brand, particularly in the podcasting space. While affiliate marketing was once a significant revenue stream, recent changes in policies by brands like Chase and Amex have complicated this model. As a result, Chris has been exploring alternative monetization strategies, such as replacing affiliate links with referral programs for his members.

The difficulty in maintaining revenue streams while staying true to his brand’s ethos is something that many content creators can relate to. Chris’s approach is one of experimentation, always trying new things but with an understanding that not every idea will work out.

He’s learned to value the freedom that comes with being his own boss while also acknowledging the need for financial stability. Key strategies for monetizing a personal brand:

Experiment with different revenue streams (affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and memberships).
Be willing to adapt and pivot when necessary.
Stay focused on what’s sustainable long-term, not just short-term gains.

Final Thoughts

As the interview wraps up, Chris reflects on some of the mistakes he made along the way. His biggest regret was not betting on himself sooner and diving into All the Hacks full-time earlier in his career. He admits that the fear of leaving a stable job held him back, but he encourages others not to make the same mistake.

Chris’s story serves as a powerful reminder that success in building a personal brand comes down to taking risks, experimenting, and ultimately believing in yourself. Whether you’re starting with a podcast, a newsletter, or any other platform, the key to success is persistence, passion, and building authentic connections with your audience.

The most important takeaway: Don’t be afraid to take risks and bet on yourself. Your personal brand is yours to shape, and the rewards come when you fully commit to it.

For anyone looking to dive into personal branding, Chris’s journey offers a wealth of lessons on how to navigate the ups and downs of building an audience and monetizing content. His story proves that with the right mindset and dedication, a side project can grow into a thriving, fulfilling business.

Links & Resources

Learn more about Chris Hutchins
His Youtube channel
All the Hacks podcast

The post How Chris Hutchins Turned a Side Project Into a Thriving Personal Brand appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Nick Huber Turned ‘Boring’ Businesses Into a $30M Empire

Jared Bauman — Wed, 07 May 2025 13:26:04 +0000

In a world where shiny new startups and high-tech solutions are often worshipped, Nick Huber offers a refreshing perspective on entrepreneurship. His journey and his book, “The Sweaty Startup,” argue that the fastest route to wealth isn't through the latest tech trend, but rather through the pursuit of simple, “boring” businesses.

These businesses might not make the headlines or attract the same kind of attention as the next big AI app, but they provide consistent returns, manageable risks, and are often far easier to scale.

To dig deeper into these ideas, I sat down with Nick on the Niche Pursuits podcast to discuss everything from identifying high-opportunity local businesses to building a team and avoiding common pitfalls that new entrepreneurs often encounter. We also dove into some of the key insights from his book, including his thoughts on hiring, buying vs. starting a business, and why “boring” businesses often lead to extraordinary results.

Watch the Full Episode

Why Simple, Boring Businesses Are the Fastest Track to Wealth

The prevailing narrative in the entrepreneurial world often centers around breakthrough innovations — AI chatbots, blockchain, and NFTs. While these technologies offer great opportunities for a select few, they aren't the most accessible or sustainable routes to success for the average entrepreneur. Instead, Huber argues that:

Boring businesses are often more predictable and stable.
They cater to everyday needs and have a proven market demand.
They tend to face less competition than cutting-edge ventures.

By focusing on businesses that might seem mundane but are in high demand — like plumbing, HVAC services, or tree removal — entrepreneurs can carve out a profitable niche without the intense competition or unpredictable outcomes often associated with high-tech ventures.

A Practical Approach to Evaluating Business Ideas

One of the most useful concepts Huber shares in his book is the “10-Minute Drill.” This simple exercise helps entrepreneurs quickly assess the viability of a business idea before committing time or resources.

Huber demonstrates this approach by taking a friend's idea of starting a house painting business and researching the competition in his local area. In just a few minutes, he discovered that the market was saturated with eager competitors offering similar services, making it a poor investment. Key steps in the drill include:

Search for local competitors: Check how many businesses already offer the service in your area.
Evaluate their availability and responsiveness: Are they eager for business? How quickly do they respond to inquiries?
Assess customer feedback: Look at online reviews and the quality of their services.

This drill can help entrepreneurs avoid wasting time on ideas that are already oversaturated and direct their focus toward more promising opportunities.

Scaling and Building a Team for Success

As businesses grow, scaling becomes a critical component of success. Huber discusses the importance of hiring the right people and building a team that complements your vision. He emphasizes that delegating tasks is essential for freeing up your time to focus on strategic growth.

Huber shares his experience of hiring for his self-storage and construction service businesses, noting that the first hire should typically be someone to take on administrative duties, such as customer service or scheduling, so that the business owner can focus on sales and growth.

In terms of finding the right people, Huber recommends:

Hiring internationally: International hires can be more cost-effective and offer a great way to expand your team without the stress of high overhead costs.
Setting clear expectations: Ensuring that new hires understand their role and responsibilities is key to preventing the issues many entrepreneurs face when they fail to delegate properly.
Focusing on skills, not resumes: Huber recounts hiring a Walmart employee who demonstrated exceptional initiative. This hire turned out to be one of the best employees in his business, showing that a great work ethic and attitude can often be more valuable than formal qualifications.

The Case for Buying a Business

While starting a business from scratch has its benefits, Huber shares that his personal preference has shifted toward buying existing businesses.

He argues that buying a business allows an entrepreneur to skip over many of the initial hurdles associated with starting from scratch, such as building a customer base, establishing brand recognition, and dealing with the learning curve of business operations.

However, Huber acknowledges that buying a business isn’t for everyone. It requires a different skill set — specifically, the ability to evaluate businesses, understand their financials, and spot any potential red flags that could pose risks down the road. When considering a purchase, he recommends looking for:

A solid track record: The business should have a history of steady revenue and manageable debt.
Experienced owners: Avoid businesses where the owners are inexperienced or have poor management practices, as this can lead to bigger headaches.
Opportunities for improvement: Look for businesses that could benefit from your expertise, whether through digital marketing or operational improvements.

The Role of Personal Branding in Business Growth

Huber also explores the significance of establishing a personal brand, particularly in today’s digital age. While many entrepreneurs may feel that their primary focus should be on growing their business, Huber argues that building an online presence can provide significant advantages.

His personal brand has opened doors to partnerships, investors, and customers in ways that would have been impossible without it. To effectively build a personal brand, Huber suggests:

Be transparent: Share your successes, but also be open about your struggles and lessons learned. This authenticity helps build trust with your audience.
Offer value: Instead of just promoting your business, focus on offering insights that others in your industry can use. This positions you as an expert and attracts people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.
Consistency is key: Posting regularly on social media and engaging with your audience is critical for growing your brand over time.

By sharing his journey of building his self-storage business and real estate ventures, Huber demonstrated how personal branding can help accelerate business growth and establish credibility in the marketplace.

Final Thoughts

Nick Huber’s message is clear: while the world may idolize flashy tech startups, the real wealth lies in simple, often unsexy businesses. By focusing on practical, proven models and learning how to scale them, entrepreneurs can build lasting success with less risk and more stability.

Whether you choose to start a business, buy one, or build a personal brand, the key is to stay focused on what works, rather than chasing after the latest trend. For those looking to dive into business with the highest probability of success, following Huber’s advice on identifying low-competition, high-demand markets is a solid first step toward financial independence.

Links & Resources

The post How Nick Huber Turned ‘Boring’ Businesses Into a $30M Empire appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Bart van der Meer Drives 5 Million Organic Page Views a Month with Digital PR

Jared Bauman — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:56:13 +0000

In the latest episode of the Niche Pursuits Podcast, I sat down with Bart van der Meer to discuss unique methods of driving organic SEO traffic through digital PR. Bart shared valuable insights into how he has successfully increased website traffic using data-driven strategies, especially in the context of digital PR campaigns.

Here’s a breakdown of our conversation and how these methods can be applied to boost your SEO efforts!

Watch the full Episode

Three Key Sources for Digital PR

Bart's approach to digital PR hinges on three primary sources of backlinks, each requiring a distinct strategy. The first source is traditional: journalists and news outlets. This approach involves conducting outreach campaigns to secure mentions and links from established media sources.

Journalistic outreach: A direct, outreach-heavy approach to secure links from news agencies.
Educational websites: Universities and educational domains are targeted with inbound strategies, emphasizing content that appeals to academic or research-focused audiences.
Government sites: Local and national government websites, which require content that addresses societal issues and public interests.

Bart's team creates unique data sets to build compelling articles that appeal to journalists, universities, and government bodies alike. This content is often based on original surveys or data gathered by the team, ensuring it stands out in a competitive landscape.

The Power of Original Data

One of the core techniques Bart uses to gain visibility is creating original data that can’t be found elsewhere. This approach not only attracts attention from high-authority sources but also strengthens SEO rankings through unique content.

He explained that, by collecting data directly from their audience or through external surveys, they can build content that fills gaps in existing information.

Conducting surveys: Gathering first-party data from consumers or industry professionals, like installers, can yield valuable insights for content creation.
Leveraging external data: If original data is not available, existing datasets can be restructured to make them more relevant and useful for your audience.

Bart emphasized that this data-driven approach helps create high-quality content that ranks well in search engines, often attracting thousands of backlinks from authoritative sources.

Building Content for Low-Volume, High-Impact Topics

A unique aspect of Bart’s strategy involves targeting low-traffic, high-impact topics that are underrepresented in the SEO landscape. These topics often don’t have high search volumes but are of great interest to specific groups, such as government agencies or non-profits.

By focusing on these niche areas, Bart’s team can generate links from authoritative sites that others might overlook.

Government and nonprofit sectors: By publishing content on topics that align with public interests, such as sustainability or safety, Bart’s campaigns gain traction on government and educational sites.
Low-search-volume content: Content centered around topics with lower search volumes can still attract valuable links if it is timely and relevant to key audiences.

This strategy is particularly useful for businesses looking to target niche markets or those with limited traffic. It highlights the importance of understanding the context of a topic and how it aligns with public or institutional priorities.

Outreach Strategies for Digital PR Campaigns

When it comes to outreach, Bart uses a combination of active and passive strategies to ensure success. For journalists and media outlets, the team focuses on data-backed stories that appeal to news organizations. This involves creating surveys or collecting unique data, which can be shared as part of a broader story.

Active outreach: Bart’s team reaches out to journalists directly, offering them unique data sets that can be used for their stories.
Passive strategies: For educational and government sites, the strategy is more passive, focusing on creating content that is discoverable by these institutions without direct outreach.

Bart’s team also uses tools like Hotjar to collect data directly from their website visitors, offering them an incentive to answer questions or participate in surveys. This data is then used to fuel their outreach campaigns, ensuring that the content is both relevant and original.

Scaling Digital PR for Smaller Teams

For businesses with smaller teams, Bart shared some tips for scaling digital PR campaigns effectively. One of the key strategies is to start small and focus on highly targeted campaigns. By narrowing down your audience and niche, even a small team can run successful digital PR campaigns with minimal resources.

Niche down: Start by focusing on a small group of people or businesses to gather data from, ensuring the campaign remains manageable.
Efficient outreach: Using automated tools and templates can help scale outreach without overloading a small team.

Bart’s example of a campaign for dog shelters in the Netherlands, which involved reaching out to 130 shelters and gathering data via a short survey, illustrates how small teams can manage large outreach efforts.

In just a few days, the campaign garnered valuable backlinks, showing that it’s possible to generate significant results even with limited resources.

Tools and Software for Digital PR

To streamline their digital PR and SEO efforts, Bart recommended several tools that help his team stay organized and efficient. For outreach, Muck Rack is an excellent tool for finding and contacting journalists. For collecting data, Hotjar helps engage website visitors, while AI tools like LLMs can assist in generating creative subject lines for email outreach.

MuckRack: A tool for finding journalists and media outlets for outreach campaigns.
Hotjar: A user engagement tool that helps collect valuable data through surveys and pop-ups on your website.
AI tools: AI-powered tools can assist in generating content ideas and headlines, as well as improving outreach success.

These tools help Bart’s team scale their efforts while maintaining the quality and originality of their campaigns.

Final Thoughts

Bart van der Meer’s approach to digital PR and organic SEO traffic combines creativity, data, and strategic outreach to build high-authority links and drive massive organic traffic. By focusing on unique data and niche topics and leveraging powerful tools, businesses of all sizes can apply these strategies to improve their SEO performance.

Whether you’re a small team or part of a larger organization, the key takeaway is clear: focus on creating original content that answers important questions and builds relationships with authoritative sources.

Links & Resources

His Linkedin
Learn more about Leads.io

The post How Bart van der Meer Drives 5 Million Organic Page Views a Month with Digital PR appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

What If OpenAI Bought Chrome?

Jared Bauman — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:56:10 +0000

This week on the Niche Pursuits podcast, Thomas Smith and I tackled everything from major AI headlines to some of our favorite side hustle experiments.

The big story? OpenAI has expressed interest in buying Chrome if Google is forced to sell—a speculative move, but one with massive implications. We explored what that could mean for the future of search and whether it signals a deeper push by OpenAI to dominate real-time information access.

We also broke down two studies on Google’s AI Overviews. One showed a clear drop in click-through rates for organic results, while the other found that B2B users are still actively engaging with citations.

On the personal side, Thomas debated the direction of his AI-focused YouTube content, and I shared a Pinterest strategy that brought a strong Easter traffic spike to one of my sites.

We ended with a fun look at a chicken hatchery and a multilingual dictionary site—because no week is complete without a little niche inspiration.

Watch the Full Episode

Could OpenAI Buy Chrome?

A fascinating and potentially landscape-shifting story led this week’s news: OpenAI has expressed interest in buying Chrome—if Google is forced to sell it as a result of the ongoing U.S. antitrust trial.

Key Highlights:

OpenAI’s Interest: Nick Turley, OpenAI’s Head of Product, testified during the antitrust trial that the company would consider purchasing Chrome should regulators demand its divestiture from Google.
Search Is Central to ChatGPT’s Future: OpenAI has made it clear that integrating reliable, live search data is crucial for evolving ChatGPT. Despite having a strong partnership with Microsoft’s Bing, OpenAI appears to be eyeing direct control over a browser and its data streams.
Not Just a Joke Anymore: What started as a lighthearted hypothetical—OpenAI buying Chrome—has become a plausible strategic move.
Chrome as the Operating System of the Web: With most people using Chrome as their main gateway to the internet, acquiring it would give OpenAI unprecedented access to real-time search data and user behavior.

While the acquisition may not actually happen, this story signals OpenAI’s massive ambitions. They aren’t content being a chatbot—they want to reshape how we interact with the web.

AI Overviews: Cutting Clicks or Supporting B2B?

Two data studies discussed this week shed light on AI Overviews in Google search—how they influence user behavior, and how that varies between B2C and B2B audiences.

Study 1: AI Overviews Cut Click-Through Rates

Several studies confirmed a significant drop in CTR when AI Overviews are present in search results.

Ahrefs Study: Position one CTR dropped by 34.5% when an AI Overview was shown.
Amceev Study: CTR across the first page dropped by 15.5%, and even more—up to 37%—when combined with featured snippets.
Branded Keywords Are Less Affected: Only 4.79% of branded keywords triggered AI Overviews, and when they did, they experienced a CTR boost of nearly 19%.

This data reinforces the narrative that Google’s AI Overviews reduce organic traffic—especially for non-branded, informational queries.

Study 2: B2B Users Still Click on AI Overview Citations

On the flip side, a TrustRadius report suggests that B2B buyers behave differently.

90% Click Through on Citations: B2B buyers are using AI Overviews, but they’re also clicking through cited sources to validate information.
Skepticism Remains: While the survey might have phrased questions in a way that encourages “smart” answers, it's logical that people making business decisions would do extra due diligence.
Higher Stakes, More Engagement: For high-stakes decisions—like software purchases—users are far more likely to double-check sources.

Takeaways for Content Creators:

Focus on building a recognizable brand. Branded searches are less likely to be undercut by AI Overviews.
Target B2B content, or content where readers are highly motivated to research, as it may be more resilient to zero-click search trends.
Prepare for a world where volume traffic decreases but visitor quality increases, particularly for sites selling products or services rather than relying on ads.

Side Hustles

Thomas’ YouTube Fork in the Road

Thomas shared a classic creator dilemma: Should he keep building a new AI-focused YouTube channel or just post AI content on his already-monetized DIY Life Tech channel?

DIY Channel: Search-driven, low subscriber engagement, but monetized and generating consistent revenue.
AI Channel: Subscriber-driven, higher engagement potential, but not yet monetized.

Data suggests his DIY channel thrives on YouTube and Google search, while his AI channel is more about building a loyal community. Ultimately, building a distinct brand may be the better long-term play—despite slower short-term returns.

Jared’s Seasonal Content Strategy

Jared discussed a Pinterest-fueled traffic spike driven by Easter and Passover content—specifically, 28 timely articles that generated 35% of his site’s traffic last week.

Seasonal Traffic Strategy: Publishing well in advance (months, not weeks) is key to Pinterest success.
Easier Wins Than Evergreen: Seasonal content may only drive traffic briefly each year, but it's often easier to rank for and plan around.
Long-Term Potential: Like news content, seasonal pieces can return yearly dividends if planned right.

Jared is now prepping for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and the Fourth of July—leaning into Pinterest's clear preference for seasonal content.

Weird Niche Sites of the Week

To close out the episode, we took a look at a couple of unique niche sites that stood out this week—one selling baby chicks by mail (CackleHatchery.com) and another offering language translation tools through a subscription model (WordFinder.com).

Cacklehatchery.com

Thomas introduced the most adorable guest in podcast history—a baby chick. That led naturally into his weird niche: Cackle Hatchery

What It Is: A century-old business shipping live chicks across the U.S.
Business Stats:
- 250,000+ monthly visits
- 28,000 monthly searches for the brand name alone
- DR59 site with powerful branded search presence
Takeaway: Niche e-commerce, backed by strong branding, can thrive—even in something as old-school as poultry.

Wordfinder.com

Jared’s pick was WordFinder.com, a niche dictionary site translating between hundreds of language pairs.

B2B Use Case: Particularly valuable for companies translating documentation, not just casual users.
SEO Opportunity: Despite low traffic, the site shows how even a modest audience can support a sustainable subscription business.

Final Thoughts

This week’s podcast highlighted some important shifts happening across content creation, monetization, and how we think about building sustainable online businesses. AI continues to reshape not just search engines, but the way users engage with content—meaning publishers need to stay ahead of rapidly changing behavior patterns.

Strong branding and B2B-focused content emerged as clear advantages, especially in a landscape where AI Overviews are diminishing organic traffic for general informational queries. At the same time, niche audiences, whether they’re shopping for chicks or subscribing to language tools, can still support robust, profitable models when served with focus and relevance.

And while it may not have been the most serious takeaway of the week, we might just have found our new podcast mascot in the form of a fluffy, three-day-old chick.

The post What If OpenAI Bought Chrome? appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Brad Wayland Turned 125 Course Sales Into a Million-Dollar Business

Jared Bauman — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 13:26:05 +0000

Brad Wayland’s experience with his pasture farming course is a story of ambition, mistakes, and ultimately, success. Partnering with a well-known influencer in the farming world, Joel Salatin, the course launched with high hopes and big expectations.

However, as Brad would later realize, launching a high-end product with an influencer attached doesn’t always guarantee immediate success. The journey involved a lot of trial and error, and in this episode, Brad shares his key takeaways that are very helpful for anyone launching a new product or course.

Watch the Full Episode

Initial High Hopes, Immediate Setbacks

In March 2021, Brad, along with his team, launched a high-production-value course featuring Joel Salatin, one of the most respected figures in the pasture farming space. Initially, the plan seemed perfect: an influencer with a massive following and a reputation that practically guaranteed success. However, the sales didn’t match the expectations.

Initial Sales: 125 courses sold within the first two weeks, a decent start but far below the target.
Challenges: Despite the influencer backing, there were miscalculations in understanding the target market, course content, and the pricing strategy.

Brad's initial assumption was that just putting out the course and leveraging Joel’s popularity would be enough to drive immediate sales. But reality soon hit.

Product and Market Misalignment

One of the main challenges Brad encountered was product-market fit. While the course had high-quality content and a famous figure promoting it, the target audience wasn’t the “rich” or impulsive buyers often seen in the online marketing world.

Instead, the farming community tends to be more frugal and intentional with their spending, especially when it comes to a high-priced course. Here are some key observations about the product-market disconnect:

Price Point Issues: Joel initially wanted to price the course at $99, which Brad thought was too low. However, when they settled at $995, it still felt like too much for a relatively new, four-hour course.
Content Gaps: The course initially offered just four hours of content. Compared to comprehensive courses like the Amazing Seller Machine, this felt insufficient to justify the high price.

Brad admits that he misjudged the farming audience’s buying behavior, applying strategies from internet marketing to a completely different niche. This resulted in limited success at first.

Trial and Error: The Road to Success

After the lackluster initial launch, Brad and his team had to rethink their strategy. They tried different approaches, with varying degrees of success:

Paid Advertising: Initially, their paid ads didn’t bring the results they hoped for. But as time went on, they refined their approach, hired consultants, and slowly began to see positive returns on their ad spend. The key was persistence and learning from mistakes.
YouTube Channel Launch: A major turning point came when they launched a YouTube channel in 2022. Within a year, they grew their channel to 80,000 subscribers. The steady flow of content, both short-form and long-form, started to build momentum for the course.

Results: 11,500 new subscribers in the last 28 days and hundreds of thousands of views. This organic growth supported their paid efforts, driving traffic to their sales page.

Shifting Focus and Building a Brand

Rather than giving up, Brad doubled down on what they were doing well and shifted the course’s focus. They moved from a basic, foundational course to a more comprehensive offering, gradually building a catalog of 38 hours of content over four years.

Consistency Was Key: Every six months, new content was added, allowing them to build a more valuable product.
Word of Mouth: As they added new content, they found that customers who had bought the course earlier began to share their experiences. With every new update, students felt they were getting more value for their money, leading to positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Brad’s belief in the long-term potential of the product, combined with a solid content foundation, was crucial in their eventual success.

The Importance of PatiencE

One of the most valuable lessons Brad shares is the importance of grinding through the tough times. Many entrepreneurs face moments of doubt, especially when a project doesn’t immediately succeed. But persistence is key. Brad used this mantra to stay motivated:

Grinding: Even when it seemed like sales weren’t coming in, Brad continued to invest in ads, build out new content, and focus on the bigger picture.
Setting Expectations: One of the mistakes Brad made was not setting the right expectations with his partners. If he had communicated the long game from the beginning, it would have helped manage everyone’s expectations and reduced the pressure on immediate results.

Eventually, this persistence paid off. Today, they are seeing consistent sales, and the course has become a profitable business. Licensing deals with companies have further expanded their reach.

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

Brad’s experience with the pasture farming course offers several lessons for anyone launching a new product or course:

Understand Your Audience: Know your customers and how they behave. What works for one market may not work for another.
Pricing Strategy: Don’t assume that a high price point will always translate to success. Consider starting with an accessible price and gradually increasing it as the product proves its value.
Persistence Is Key: Business success doesn’t happen overnight. Stay focused on the long-term vision, and be willing to adapt along the way.
Invest in Content: Continuously improving and adding to your product is crucial. Make sure the content matches the value you’re promising.
Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot: If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to try new strategies or pivot in a new direction.

Brad’s story shows that while success might take longer than expected, it’s the long game that ultimately wins. By focusing on building value, understanding the market, and maintaining persistence, he and his team were able to turn their initial setbacks into a thriving business.

Final Thoughts

Today, the farming course is a thriving business with over 1,000 students. Brad and his team have successfully turned a modest beginning into a million-dollar business. The addition of licensing deals, organic growth from the YouTube channel, and ongoing improvements in marketing have allowed the business to scale sustainably.

For those who are in the midst of struggling with their own course or business, Brad’s story offers hope. It's a reminder that success is rarely immediate and that perseverance, adaptability, and continuous learning are essential for growth. If you're willing to put in the effort and grind through the tough times, success may just be around the corner.

Brad's mantra: “If you believe and know that it can be successful, then you've gotta find that drive to stay the course and keep grinding every day.” This is a story of determination, learning from mistakes, and ultimately, creating something that truly serves the people it was designed to help.

Links & Resources

Learn all about Brad Wayland
His How to Buy an Online Business course
Work with Brad at Quiet Light

The post How Brad Wayland Turned 125 Course Sales Into a Million-Dollar Business appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Is Meta’s Social Media Empire at Risk?

Jared Bauman — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 13:16:56 +0000

In today’s episode, we’ve got some major news to dive into, starting with Meta facing a landmark antitrust lawsuit. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a case against the tech giant, accusing them of monopolistic behavior by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp instead of competing with them. This is big news because if the FTC wins, Meta could be forced to sell off these two massive social media platforms.

We’re also covering a Google lawsuit in the European Union, a study on AI traffic, and some surprising findings about LinkedIn engagement. We’ll round things off with some updates on side hustles and weird niche sites, including Spencer’s new pallet business.

Watch the Full Episode

The Meta Antitrust Trial

The big news today centers on the FTC’s lawsuit against Meta. This trial could have massive implications for the tech industry, especially for Meta’s holdings in Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC claims that Meta’s acquisition of these two companies was not a competitive move but an attempt to squash potential competition in the social media space.

Here’s what you need to know:

FTC’s Allegations: The FTC argues that Meta did not acquire Instagram and WhatsApp because they were valuable or innovative but because Meta wanted to eliminate competition. According to the FTC, Meta saw these companies as future threats and bought them to control the market.
Evidence from Mark Zuckerberg: The case is backed by internal memos and emails from Mark Zuckerberg, which show that Meta’s leadership thought it would be easier to acquire these competitors instead of competing with them directly.
FTC’s Demand: The FTC is seeking to force Meta to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, a move that would dramatically affect Meta’s entire business model. Both platforms are essential to Meta’s social media empire, and this kind of disruption could change the landscape of digital marketing.
Legal Challenges: Meta will likely argue that these acquisitions were legitimate and that the companies were not yet significant enough to be considered monopolistic threats. Instagram was still an emerging platform when Meta bought it in 2012, and WhatsApp, although large, was not the dominant player in messaging apps when it was acquired in 2014.
What’s at Stake: If the FTC wins, it could set a precedent that impacts how tech companies acquire competitors. It would show that the government is willing to break up companies and challenge the way big tech has been operating for years.

This case is still in its early stages, but the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for Meta, the tech industry, and future antitrust cases.

Google Faces $6.6 Billion Lawsuit Over Search Advertising

Switching gears, let’s talk about Google, which is facing a $6.6 billion lawsuit in the European Union over its dominance in the search advertising space. A group of small businesses claims that Google has been using its market power to inflate the prices of search ads, forcing them to pay higher prices because they have no alternative.

Here’s what you need to know:

The Allegations: The lawsuit argues that Google is using its monopoly to drive up prices for search advertising. Small businesses don’t have any other choice but to use Google’s ad services, and as a result, they’re forced to pay higher prices.
Potential Consequences: While $6.6 billion is a huge amount of money, it’s not likely to hurt Google significantly. However, it’s important because it shows that regulators in the EU are serious about holding tech giants accountable. The case could also inspire other lawsuits in different countries.
Why This Matters: If the lawsuit succeeds, it could have a ripple effect across the advertising industry, making it harder for Google to continue dominating the market. It could also encourage more businesses to seek alternatives to Google’s advertising network.

AI Traffic: 0.1% of the Internet’s Total Traffic

In other news, a recent study by Ahrefs examined the role of AI in web traffic. While AI is a hot topic these days, especially with the rise of tools like ChatGPT, the data shows that AI currently drives just 0.1% of total internet traffic. Here’s what we found from the study:

The Small Impact of AI: Despite all the buzz, AI is still a small player in terms of referral traffic. AI traffic currently makes up just 0.1% of total traffic, with search engines still the dominant source of traffic at 43.8%.
Other Traffic Sources: Direct traffic is also a major player, contributing 42.3% of the total, with social media bringing in 13.1%.
Looking Ahead: While AI’s current role is small, the technology is still evolving. As AI tools like ChatGPT continue to improve, it’s likely that their impact on traffic will grow over time.

LinkedIn Surprises: Adding Links Boosts Engagement

One of the more surprising stories we covered this week is a study on LinkedIn, which revealed that adding links to your posts actually boosts engagement by 13%. For years, conventional wisdom has suggested that adding external links to LinkedIn posts would reduce their reach. However, this new study challenges that idea.

Here are the key takeaways:

What the Study Found: Posts with links saw a 13.57% increase in interactions and a 4.9% increase in views compared to posts without links.
What This Means for Marketers: If you’ve been avoiding adding links to your LinkedIn posts, it might be time to reconsider. The data shows that adding links can help increase engagement, potentially driving more traffic to your website or content.
A Game Changer for LinkedIn Strategy: For businesses and content creators, this is big news. LinkedIn has long been a valuable platform for professional networking and marketing, and now it looks like you can add links without worrying about hurting your post’s reach.

Side Hustles Update

Spencer’s Liquidation Pallets PROJECT

On the business side of things, Spencer has been busy starting a new side hustle—buying and selling liquidation pallets. This is a business model where you buy pallets of returned items from major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon, then sell the products individually for a profit.

The Setup: Spencer is buying liquidation pallets from a nearby warehouse. He’s using his garage as a storage space for the goods and involving his kids in the process, helping them learn about business.
The Work: The process involves a lot of sorting, photographing, and listing products online. It’s a lot of work, but Spencer is excited about the potential.
The Challenges: While the business has potential, it’s also a lot of legwork. Spencer’s garage is currently filled with items that need to be sorted, and it’ll take time to get everything listed.

Jared’s Food Site UPDATE

As for me, I gave an update on my food website. While traffic has held steady, April’s ad revenue took a hit due to a drop in RPMs (Revenue Per Thousand Impressions). Here’s what’s been going on:

Traffic Trends: Traffic remains stable, but RPMs have dropped significantly, likely due to the global economic uncertainty.
What’s Next: I’m staying optimistic. With the summer months approaching, I’m hopeful that RPMs will bounce back, and things will improve as we get into the second half of the year.

Weird Niche Sites of the Week

Lastly, we always like to wrap things up by talking about some weird niche websites that have caught our attention: DetectFaceShape.com and EmailChecker.net

DetectFaceShape.com

This site uses AI to tell you what shape your face is. It gets over 1.7 million visitors per month and likely generates significant revenue through ads. This website is simple but clearly successful.

EmailChecker.net

A simple tool that verifies whether an email address is valid. Despite its basic functionality, it still gets 50,000 visits a month, though traffic has declined recently.

Final Thoughts

This week’s stories emphasize the growing scrutiny big tech companies are facing. The FTC’s lawsuit against Meta could reshape the social media landscape if they succeed in forcing the sale of Instagram and WhatsApp. Similarly, Google’s $6.6 billion lawsuit in the EU highlights how regulators are pushing back against monopolistic practices in the tech world.

On the digital marketing front, AI’s role in driving traffic is still small but growing, while LinkedIn’s surprising findings on engagement suggest new strategies for marketers. As the digital landscape evolves, it’s clear that both legal challenges and shifting trends are shaping the future of tech and business.

The post Is Meta’s Social Media Empire at Risk? appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Jon Gillham Is Rethinking Content Optimization

Jared Bauman — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:29:13 +0000

Content optimization has been a core part of SEO since the earliest days of Google. Over the years, we've watched it evolve from simple checklists to sophisticated scoring tools. But with recent changes to how Google evaluates content, and the rise of generative AI, we’re entering a new era.

In this episode, Jon Gillham, founder of Originality.ai, brings a unique perspective to this shift. As someone who has built and sold content businesses and now leads a platform focused on content quality, Jon has seen firsthand how optimization strategies have changed—and where they're headed next.

Watch the full Episode

The Origins of Content Optimization

The original purpose of content optimization was simple: understand what ranks well in Google, and make your content more like it.

Early tools like Yoast focused on basics—ensuring your keyword appeared in the title, meta description, and first paragraph.
More advanced platforms like Surfer SEO, MarketMuse, Clearscope, and others added a layer of analysis. They examined the top 10 results for a given keyword and told you what terms to include and how often.
These tools gamified the process, encouraging writers to optimize for a score rather than for the reader.

For a while, this approach worked. But it also led to a flood of derivative content that mimicked existing pages without adding anything new.

The Downsides of Optimization Scores

Scoring systems might offer structure, but they come with real trade-offs:

Writers often optimize for the score, not the user.
Content becomes formulaic—what Jon refers to as “average” content.
Important nuances like tone, originality, and information gain get lost in pursuit of keyword matching.
And perhaps most critically, Google’s algorithms are getting smarter at detecting and penalizing this kind of over-optimized content.

As Jon put it, tools that reward sameness don’t align with a search engine that rewards uniqueness.

Information Gain: What Google Actually Wants

Google’s Helpful Content Update made one thing clear: originality matters more than ever.

What Google increasingly prioritizes is information gain—the addition of something new to the body of content that already exists. That could take many forms:

Unique data: Even a small-scale test or original review can provide insights no one else is offering.
Free tools or downloads: Calculators, templates, or checklists that directly solve user problems.
Visual content: Screenshots, comparisons, or infographics that explain concepts more clearly.
Real-world experience: Firsthand use, demonstrations, or personal results that differentiate the content from generic summaries.

Content that simply rephrases what’s already ranking doesn’t move the needle. In fact, it may now hurt your chances of ranking at all.

A New Model for Content Evaluation

Instead of using keyword counts and optimization scores, Jon and his team at Originality.ai have developed a different approach.

They built an AI model that evaluates a piece of content based on how likely it is to rank in Google—not by comparing keywords, but by analyzing patterns and outcomes across massive datasets.

The system doesn’t tell you which words to add.
It does, however, provide a strong indication of whether your content meets the threshold for quality and originality.
It's a “black box” model, much like Google's own algorithm, and reflects the reality that SEO today is about more than surface-level signals.

This approach is more difficult to act on, but far more predictive. It reflects how Google now evaluates content: holistically, contextually, and with a strong bias toward originality.

How to Add Information Gain Without Big Budgets

Not every creator has the time or resources to run large studies or build tools—but adding value doesn’t have to be expensive.

Some effective, low-lift strategies include:

Running small comparisons or tests and publishing the results
Using the product or service you’re reviewing and documenting your real experience
Offering downloadable resources (like spreadsheets or templates) that complement the article
Including expert commentary or personal insight that readers won’t find elsewhere

Even small amounts of unique value can make a big difference. In fact, Jon pointed out that some of Originality.ai’s highest-performing content is built around simple tools or limited datasets that no one else had published yet.

What Great Content Creators Have in Common

Writers who consistently produce content that performs well tend to share two traits:

Subject-matter expertise: They understand the topic deeply, which helps them avoid generic advice and add meaningful insights.
Passion: They care about what they’re writing, which shows in the depth and usefulness of the content.

Interestingly, strong content performance correlates more with these human traits than with technical writing skill. It's better to work with someone who knows the topic and can be edited for clarity than to rely on a talented writer who lacks domain knowledge.

Final Thoughts

The future of content optimization isn’t about producing more—it’s about producing better.

Instead of trying to publish ten pieces of shallow content, aim for one that offers something new.
Use optimization tools to check for topic coverage, but don’t let them dictate your approach.
Focus on originality, depth, and usefulness—things that can’t be faked with scores or keyword stuffing.

As the web fills with AI-generated content, Google is doubling down on rewarding human insight and unique contributions. Optimization isn’t going away—but the way we think about it needs to change.

For those who can shift their mindset, the opportunity is still massive.

Links & Resources

Originality AI Checker
Co-Founder of Motion Invest

The post How Jon Gillham Is Rethinking Content Optimization appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Bloomberg Exposes Google’s Broken Promises to Small Publishers

Jared Bauman — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 13:04:11 +0000

This week’s podcast kicked off with a story we’ve covered extensively in the past, but now it’s hit the mainstream press. Bloomberg just published a piece titled “Google AI Search Shift Leaves Website Makers Feeling Betrayed” — and it puts the spotlight squarely on Google’s Web Creator Summit held back in late 2024.

If you’ve been following our podcast, you already know the gist. Google invited around 20 small publishers to its campus — folks who’d been hit hard by the Helpful Content Update and the updates that followed. The idea was to hear them out, understand their pain points, and (presumably) make changes so that high-quality, independent content creators could once again rank in search.

Since then? Crickets.

Now Bloomberg is telling that same story, with a national lens. It’s not just the SEO and content community talking about this anymore — it’s the wider world starting to see just how far-reaching these algorithm shifts have been.

Watch the Full Episode

Google Promised to Help Small Publishers. Then Nothing Happened

The Fallout from Google's Promises:

Creators like Morgan McBride (who we interviewed previously) and Jake Boly are prominently featured in Bloomberg’s coverage.
Morgan lost 70% of her traffic and 65% of her income. Jake put it bluntly: “If you drive away all enthusiasts and small publishers, then we’re going to be overrun by spam and the few players who can afford to pay to play.”
A SimilarWeb analysis showed traffic drops across 67 small publishers in verticals like travel, DIY, and food — confirming what we’ve seen anecdotally.

Despite following Google’s EEAT guidelines, these sites aren’t seeing recovery. In fact, traffic continues to decline. That’s where the real sense of betrayal comes in. Publishers were told they were doing everything right — yet nothing changed.

And in a time when Google desperately needs good PR, this story is becoming another stain on its reputation.

TikTok’s Countdown: 75 More Days to Find a Buyer

Let’s pivot to another platform that’s been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons: TikTok.

Back in January, TikTok faced potential shutdown in the U.S., and after a few hours of actual downtime, the government gave parent company ByteDance 75 days to sell the platform. That deadline just got extended — they now have until mid-June 2025.

What's Happening with TikTok Now?

Multiple buyers are rumored to be in the mix, including Oracle, Amazon, and private equity groups.
The uncertainty has advertisers spooked. CPMs are down significantly, and eight of TikTok’s top ten advertising categories cut their budgets in Q1 2025.
Despite the chaos, TikTok is still projected to generate nearly $15 billion in U.S. ad revenue this year — even more than YouTube.

Thomas and I both agreed: while TikTok’s long-term viability remains unclear, there’s a real short-term opportunity for creators and advertisers.

Fewer creators are publishing due to the uncertainty.
CPMs are lower, which means cheaper exposure.
Brands willing to stomach the risk might find this is the best time to get into TikTok advertising.

If TikTok sticks around — and we think it probably will — the creators and advertisers who stuck with it through the turbulence may find themselves in a great position.

The Latest in AI Image Tools: MidJourney v7 and More

We also covered the ongoing arms race in AI image generation. MidJourney released version 7, following closely behind OpenAI’s GPT-4.0 image tools and Ideogram v3.

How Does MidJourney 7 Stack Up?

MidJourney v7 is a significant upgrade in realism and visual nuance.
It still struggles with text-heavy prompts compared to GPT-4.0.
You need to “train” the model to your style by selecting preferred images in setup — about 200 of them.

Where it really shines is in creating images that don’t look AI-generated. There’s even a prompt hack using filenames like “IMG_4147.HEIC” to trick the model into generating images that look like they came off a phone camera.

So what’s the TL;DR for content creators?

Best all-around tool: GPT-4.0 image generation. Great with text and has advanced editing features.
Best for design layouts and API work: Ideogram v3.
Best for artistic or photorealistic work: MidJourney v7.

Side Hustle Update

One of Jared’s Calculator Sites is Starting to Rank

On the side hustle front, I shared an update on one of my five calculator websites. After some early yo-yoing in rankings, one site is showing signs of taking off.

The homepage calculator just jumped from position 72 to 13 for its main keyword — which gets 60,000 monthly searches.
Engagement is strong: over 130 users in the past week and a 51-second average engagement time.
The keyword is driving most of the traffic, and if it cracks the top 10, this could turn into a steady earner.

This is the first of the five calculator sites to really show traction. And while it’s still early days, it’s encouraging to see movement like this from a very lean build that relied heavily on AI tools.

Thomas’ Newsletter Revenue: First Month on Beehive

Thomas also shared his first full month of revenue numbers for his “AI in Real Life” newsletter, which he recently moved to Beehive.

14 emails sent in March to a list of about 3,000 subscribers
Total revenue from Beehive’s built-in ad program: $257
Highest earning emails were tied to specific high-value AI advertisers

It’s not a full-time income, but it’s early days — and the revenue scales with list size. Plus, it fits well into a broader content and monetization strategy that includes YouTube and affiliate offers.

Weird Niche Sites of the Week

This week’s “weird niche” picks featured two very different but equally interesting examples: TireSize.com and PerishableNews.com.

TireSize.com

This is a powerhouse calculator site in the automotive space.

315,000 organic visits/month
Over 20,000 indexed pages covering tire sizes, comparisons, gear ratios, and more
Monetized via both display ads and affiliate links to tire retailers like Amazon and Discount Tire

What stood out was how tightly integrated the calculator results are with the affiliate buying journey. It’s a great example of not just solving a problem, but seamlessly guiding the user to a purchase.

PerishableNews.com

Thomas brought a hyper-specific niche news site to the table this week.

Covers the perishables industry: produce, meat, floral, etc.
High DR (71) but low reported organic traffic
Likely drives significant short-term traffic from breaking news that tools like Ahrefs don’t capture
Monetized via industry-specific display ads and conference promotions

It’s a great example of how niche news sites — especially those with a business or B2B angle — can thrive even if their success doesn’t show up in traditional SEO tools.

Final Thoughts

This week’s stories really drove home a central theme: the landscape is shifting fast. Whether it’s algorithm changes, AI tools, or platform instability, the only constant is change.

But with change comes opportunity. If you're willing to experiment, stay nimble, and put your audience first, there's still plenty of upside to be found — even in the face of setbacks.

The post Bloomberg Exposes Google’s Broken Promises to Small Publishers appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Ben Addy Hit 500k Followers on Instagram and Then Started 30 Sub-Accounts

Jared Bauman — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:40:15 +0000

When Ben Addy started his first Instagram account back in college, he never expected it would grow into a 500,000+ follower platform—let alone evolve into a network of 30+ sub-accounts and a growing portfolio of local newsletters.

But that’s exactly what happened.

In this episode, Ben breaks down the layered strategy behind his social media ecosystem, why he deliberately chose to create dozens of smaller, regional accounts instead of relying on one large audience, and how that decision opened up powerful new monetization opportunities.

He also shares how he’s now applying the same principles to email newsletters—taking everything he’s learned from nearly a decade on Instagram and building something even more sustainable.

Watch the Full Episode

Building a Large Instagram Presence

Ben started his journey into social media while in college, launching a travel-themed Instagram page as a creative outlet. Over time, he mastered the art of audience growth, refining his approach through trial and error.

His main account now boasts nearly 500,000 followers
Over time, he created 30 regional sub-accounts to better target specific audiences
He attributes his success to consistency, engagement strategies, and an in-depth understanding of Instagram’s evolving algorithms

The Strategy Behind the 30 Sub-Accounts

Rather than relying on one large account, Ben took a strategic approach by launching multiple smaller, more localized Instagram accounts. This helped him solve the problem of a broad, global audience that wasn’t easily monetizable.

The sub-accounts are focused on specific states and regions, ensuring that followers are highly engaged and relevant
By using data analytics, Ben is able to see what types of content perform best in each region
The regional accounts act as a funnel, helping to drive traffic to his larger initiatives

Growth Tactics for Instagram Success

Ben shared some of the strategies that have worked well for him in growing Instagram accounts quickly and efficiently.

Follow and Unfollow Strategy: Although controversial, this method still works when executed correctly and within Instagram’s limits.
Collaborations and Giveaways: Partnering with brands and influencers has helped him rapidly expand his reach.
Understanding Instagram’s Algorithm: Keeping up with the latest changes has allowed him to adjust his content approach for better visibility and engagement.
Content Optimization: Testing different styles, colors, and formats has been crucial in maximizing performance.

Monetization: Turning Followers into Revenue

With such a large Instagram presence, Ben has explored multiple ways to generate income beyond traditional sponsored posts.

Brand Partnerships: He has worked with companies like Four Seasons and tourism boards to get free travel, accommodations, and products.
Selling Merchandise: Early on, he was able to drive massive traffic to his website to sell branded stickers and other items.
Local Advertising: The sub-accounts provide an opportunity to work with local businesses that want to reach a targeted audience.
Leveraging His Network: Rather than solely relying on direct revenue from Instagram, Ben has used his audience to build other businesses, including local newsletters.

Expanding into Local Newsletters

Recognizing the limitations of social media, Ben began building local newsletters to create a more stable and direct connection with his audience.

His newsletters focus on hyper-local content, providing updates on events, restaurants, and community news.
By collecting emails, he has built an asset that isn’t dependent on Instagram’s algorithms.
The newsletters allow him to offer local advertising and sponsorships, creating another revenue stream.

The Flywheel Effect: How It All Works Together

Ben’s approach isn’t just about Instagram or newsletters in isolation, it’s about creating a connected ecosystem.

His large Instagram account helps grow his sub-accounts.
The sub-accounts drive engagement and conversions for the local newsletters.
The newsletters allow for deeper audience relationships and monetization opportunities.
Each platform feeds into the others, creating a self-sustaining system.

Growing Newsletters with Paid Ads and CRO

Ben has taken a data-driven approach to growing his newsletters, using Facebook ads and conversion rate optimization (CRO) to improve sign-up rates.

By tweaking his landing pages, he has drastically reduced his cost per subscriber.
Simplicity is key—removing distractions from the sign-up process improved conversions.
A well-structured onboarding experience keeps new subscribers engaged.

Final Thoughts

Ben Addy’s journey from a single Instagram account to a multi-channel digital ecosystem is an inspiring case study in diversification and audience building.

His ability to adapt, test new strategies, and scale effectively has positioned him for long-term success. Whether you’re growing a social media presence, building newsletters, or looking for creative monetization strategies, Ben’s approach offers valuable insights.

Links & Resources

Ben's Twitter

The post How Ben Addy Hit 500k Followers on Instagram and Then Started 30 Sub-Accounts appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Will the Google/Reddit Marriage Work Much Longer?

Samara Kamenecka — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:37:33 +0000

This week on the Niche Pursuits News Podcast, Jared Bauman and Thomas Smith dive deep into the complicated relationship between Reddit and Google, discuss warnings from Google about scaled content, and have a heated debate over whether AI is all hype.

Plus, they share updates on their side hustles and wrap things up with a couple of truly weird—but fascinating—niche websites.

Let’s get into it.

Watch the Full Episode

Reddit's Stock Swings and Google Dependency

Reddit recently went public, and while the IPO looked strong at first glance, there's a growing concern that Reddit’s success is too closely tied to Google search traffic.

Key points:

Reddit has a licensing deal with Google, and its post-IPO traffic growth is heavily influenced by logged-out users coming from Google.
Logged-out users don’t engage with Reddit the same way logged-in users do. They’re less active, less profitable, and more transient.
While Reddit’s logged-in user base has grown by 27%, its logged-out user traffic has surged by 51%.
This dependence on Google traffic is causing volatility in Reddit’s stock price. Shares have swung from $80 to over $220 and back down to under $100.
Analysts outside of SEO are beginning to notice the unsustainable nature of growth built on search engine referrals.
Reddit’s COO Jen Wong described the relationship with Google as “symbiotic,” but even she acknowledged the “chop” involved in managing it.

Why it matters: For content creators and digital entrepreneurs, Reddit’s situation mirrors what many have experienced: a reliance on Google that can feel like a blessing and a curse. The lesson? Diversify your traffic sources if you want long-term stability.

Google Sends Strong Signals About Scaled Content

At a recent industry event, Google’s Danny Sullivan made it clear: scaled content—whether AI-generated or not—is firmly in their crosshairs.

Here’s what we learned:

Google updated its Quality Rater Guidelines to warn against low-value, mass-produced content.
Sullivan emphasized that it’s not just AI content under scrutiny—human-generated scaled content can also be considered problematic.
One of his clearest quotes: “We don't really care how you're doing this scaled content… it’s going to be an issue.”
The goal is to promote content with originality and real value, not just content produced for search traffic.

Thomas’s take:

He believes Google has used Reddit as a stopgap for UGC while developing its own ability to better surface authentic content.
Google appears to be preparing for a broader crackdown, especially now that its AI-generated SERP summaries reduce its incentive to send traffic to others producing similar low-value content.
This may follow the same pattern as their past updates—starting with small hints, then hitting hard later in the year.

What this means for creators: You can’t just generate content at scale and expect long-term rankings. The strategy moving forward is clear: focus on originality, usefulness, and real user engagement.

The “Phony Comforts of AI Optimism” Debate

Journalist Ed Zitron published a long-form article criticizing what he sees as blind optimism around AI. He argues that the tech is overhyped and lacks real-world application and profitability.

The article’s key claims:

Many AI benchmarks are flawed.
The business case for AI is shaky.
AI's real-world value is overestimated and propped up by media and speculative investment.

Thomas’s rebuttal:

There’s a clear distinction between the AI industry and AI as a technology.
Even if AI companies are struggling to monetize, the technology is already transforming industries—writing, design, medicine, accounting, and more.
Most people don’t realize they’re using AI daily—whether through tools like Photoshop or voice-to-text transcription.
Productivity gains are real, even if they're underreported because workers don’t always disclose how AI is helping them behind the scenes.

Jared’s perspective:

Adoption is uneven, but the direction is clear.
In some sectors, AI isn’t even discussed yet, while in others, it’s central to the workflow.
As the tech becomes more embedded, industries like construction and local services may soon catch up.

This section was one of the more spirited debates in recent episodes, and it’s worth a listen if you’re curious about AI’s true place in the modern workforce.

Side Hustle Updates: Amazon Influencer and Medium

Jared's starts by sharing his progress with the Amazon Influencer Program:

March earnings were just over $1,000, flat from February.
He published 40 videos in March, bouncing back after a slower February.
Conversion rates dropped significantly compared to last year, despite consistent video quality.
Possible explanation: Amazon may have changed how it calculates conversions.
Still bullish on the program—especially as spring products ramp up.

Thomas talks about his latest progress on Medium:

Earned $1,703 on Medium in March, up from $807 in February.
Focused on getting stories boosted or featured—manual human curation is now essential.
Published 8 stories, up from 3 in January.
Leaning into newsletter content as the source for Medium stories to save time.
Emphasizes Medium’s continuing value—not just for Partner Program earnings, but also for SEO, lead gen, and brand building.

Weird Niche Sites of the Week

Jared goes first, with Post Secret:

A community art project started in 2004 where people mail in anonymous postcards with secrets.
Site only posts 10 secrets per week, creating a strong sense of scarcity.
Spawned six books, a touring exhibit, and a cult following.
Still draws significant traffic and backlinks.
Feels especially relevant in today’s digital world—raw, emotional, user-generated content that AI can’t replicate.

Thomas shares the site he found: Rent the Chicken:

Yes, you can rent chickens. And coops.
For around $800 per season, families can try backyard chicken farming without long-term commitment.
The site connects renters with local chicken providers across North America.
Earns through rentals and affiliate commissions (e.g., Grubbly Farms).
Demonstrates a quirky but growing niche, especially amid rising egg prices.
Thomas, a chicken owner himself, praised the concept as a smart response to a real consumer trend.

Final Thoughts

This episode was a mix of market analysis, content strategy insights, and a few laughs from the world of niche websites. The central theme? Whether it’s Google updates, AI debates, or volatile traffic, creators need to stay adaptive, strategic, and diversified.

Tune in for the full episode if you haven’t already—there’s a lot more nuance and data behind every segment.

The post Will the Google/Reddit Marriage Work Much Longer? appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Jamie Rawsthorne Grew a YouTube Channel to 1 Million Subscribers

Samara Kamenecka — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:31:10 +0000

In this episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Jared Bauman sits down with Jamie Rawsthorne, co-founder of the viral Zach and Jay Show turned YouTube growth strategist, to unpack his wild journey from creating YouTube stunts with his college buddy to consulting with some of the biggest entrepreneurs online today.

Jamie shares how he went from losing thousands each month to building one of the UK's fastest-growing channels, then made the gutsy decision to walk away at the peak of success.

Now, he helps entrepreneurs unlock YouTube as a growth engine, emphasizing strategic research, powerful storytelling, and product-aligned monetization.

The conversation dives deep into Jamie’s proven “Triple C” method for content strategy, the anatomy of high-performing videos, and real-world examples of clients generating six-figure monthly revenue from surprisingly modest view counts.

Whether you're starting from scratch or scaling an existing channel, this episode is packed with insights on how to approach YouTube like a pro.

Watch the Full Episode

From Viral Stardom to Purpose-Driven Strategy

Jamie’s YouTube journey began in 2018 when he launched The Zach and Jay Show with a friend. After a rough start and burning through savings, one video went viral, catapulting the channel to success.

Within a year, they grew to over 400,000 subscribers and ended up filming a European TV show.
Despite nearing a million subs, Jamie walked away, questioning whether brand sponsorships and endless content were truly what he wanted.
After a break, he found new purpose in helping entrepreneurs use YouTube to scale their businesses, bringing a fresh, strategic lens to content creation.

The Triple C Method: Capture, Categorize, Create

Jamie introduces his “Triple C” approach to content strategy, especially powerful for entrepreneurs:

Capture the highest-performing content in your niche using YouTube’s open data. Study the videos, titles, thumbnails, and performance across big and small channels.
Categorize what makes those videos work. Are there recurring angles, formats, thumbnail styles, or hooks?
Create a content roadmap by brainstorming around those proven formats, adjusted to your voice, brand, and audience.

This method takes the guesswork out of idea generation and helps avoid the classic trap of throwing random content at the wall.

Winning the Click, Then the Watch

Jamie sees YouTube as a series of micro-battles:

Getting the click: The most competitive step. Your title and thumbnail must stand out against 10+ others on the viewer’s screen.
Keeping attention: Especially in the first 30 seconds, Jamie recommends immediately repeating the title to reassure viewers that the video will deliver what was promised.
Sustaining engagement: Don’t waffle. Get to your first point quickly. Avoid bloated intros and low-value filler.
Ending strong: Your closing should leave the viewer emotionally charged or satisfied, not just fade out with a casual sign-off.

He emphasizes a concept he calls the “violent hook”—a punchy, emotional opening that grips the viewer and sparks curiosity.

Emotional Resonance > Just Information

One major point Jamie stresses is how overlooked emotion is in YouTube content—especially among entrepreneurs:

People turn to YouTube when they’re tired, eating lunch, or seeking escape. Content needs to make them feel something, not just inform.
Even business or niche content can do this by tapping into stories, surprises, and visually engaging intros.
Think less “lecture” and more “narrative.” Ask: what moment will make someone have to keep watching?

Aligning Content and Monetization

One of the biggest differentiators in Jamie’s work with clients is aligning content with a monetizable backend offer:

Instead of relying on AdSense, entrepreneurs should treat their YouTube channel as a loss leader or brand engine.
When content and product align, monetization becomes seamless and even scalable. More views lead to more conversions, which justifies reinvesting in a team and growing faster.
He shares the story of Will Brown, a YouTuber making over $500k/month from fewer than 130k views by aligning consulting offers perfectly with his content.

Jamie also outlines a monetization ladder for beginners:

Start with high-ticket, one-off consulting to cover early costs.
Build an email list with a compelling lead magnet or resource.
Gradually roll out scalable offers like cohort-based courses or a value ladder of products.

Getting Viewers Off YouTube

Jamie encourages creators to convert viewers into leads, but in a way that adds value, not friction:

Instead of saying “subscribe to my newsletter,” frame it as: “If you want to go deeper, I’ve created a resource just for you.”
This opt-in approach keeps your audience engaged and starts building your funnel without disrupting the video experience for everyone else.

What It Takes to Succeed on YouTube

For creators in the early stages, Jamie shares some sobering but encouraging stats:

Data from TubeBuddy shows it takes 152 videos, on average, to go from 1,000 to 10,000 subscribers.
Most entrepreneurs underestimate just how competitive YouTube is—it’s the most desired job in the world.
With that in mind, he urges creators to embrace the grind, keep quality high, and be intentional with their monetization from day one.

What About Production Value?

You don’t need a cinema-quality setup to succeed. Jamie says:

Focus on clarity, sound, and visual consistency—but don’t obsess over gear.
Too many creators over-prioritize production and under-prioritize strategy.
Strong hooks, engaging stories, and well-structured scripts matter far more than lighting presets.

The Future of YouTube

Jamie sees YouTube pushing to become the dominant “everything app,” competing with platforms like TikTok and Netflix:

YouTube is investing heavily in Shorts, original content, and owning the big screen.
While its rollout of new features can feel slow, it remains one of the most lucrative and resilient platforms for creators.
For entrepreneurs, YouTube remains the best long-form content platform for building trust, authority, and long-term audience growth.

Final Thoughts

This episode is packed with tactical advice and high-level strategy for anyone looking to win on YouTube—whether you're just getting started or trying to scale.

Jamie Rawsthorne doesn’t just talk theory. He’s helped clients like Sahil Bloom, Morning Brew, Dan Go, and many others grow with purpose and profit in mind.

His frameworks are rooted in years of trial and success, and he brings a fresh perspective on how YouTube can become a core growth engine for businesses of all sizes.

Links & Resources

His YouTube consultancy
His Twitter account

The post How Jamie Rawsthorne Grew a YouTube Channel to 1 Million Subscribers appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

What Google’s Latest Update Really Means for Small Publishers

Samara Kamenecka — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 16:48:45 +0000

In this episode of the Niche Pursuits News podcast, Jared Bauman and Thomas Smith dive into some of the biggest developments affecting content creators this week.

From the final rollout of Google’s March 2025 Core Update to explosive new AI product launches, the episode covers everything from search volatility to emerging tools that could transform how content gets created, ranked, and monetized.

Watch the Full Episode

Google’s March 2025 Core Update

Now that the update has officially finished rolling out, the team dug into what the data says—and what it really means for publishers.

Key trends from the update:

Some sites saw major lifts, while others got hit hard—though the update wasn’t as sweeping as previous ones like the HCU.
Medium and small forums took a big hit. Many niche forums that previously surged were pruned back, while Reddit and Quora held strong or even gained.
Programmatic content at scale—especially sites spinning up thousands of pages—saw visibility declines.
News aggregator sites and those suspected of using AI to produce content saw drops, particularly in Google Discover.
In contrast, human-written, long-form, and original reporting content got a noticeable boost.

Despite Google’s claim that the update would help small publishers, it’s not entirely clear that played out in practice.

Observations and takeaways:

Updates appear to be more nuanced than broad-sweeping.
Large brands like Amazon saw visibility drops, while niche retailers saw gains.
This may be a preview of where Google is heading next, particularly with elevating human-created content over AI and programmatic content.

Inside Google’s AI Direction

The conversation then turned to a Bloomberg article titled “Google Is Searching for an Answer to ChatGPT.” The piece reveals deep internal perspectives from current and former Google executives, and it paints a picture of a company fundamentally rethinking its role in search.

Highlights from the article and the discussion:

Liz Reid took over as Google’s head of search in 2024 and has since rolled out major changes like AI overviews and Gemini.
Google seems increasingly focused on keeping users on its own pages, reducing the incentive to send traffic to publishers.
AI-generated responses—essentially summaries of web content—are becoming central to how Google serves information.
Google reportedly passed on launching chatbot-like search as early as 2021 because it wasn’t ad-friendly. Now, ChatGPT’s success has forced their hand.
Internal quotes describe driving traffic to publishers as a “necessary evil,” suggesting Google’s long-term direction may not prioritize publishers’ interests.

What this means for content creators:

Expect more AI-generated answers and fewer opportunities for organic traffic, especially for basic or commoditized queries.
The focus should shift to building owned audiences, stronger branding, and content that offers unique insights or experience.
The traditional search bar is becoming less central—voice, visual, and conversational interfaces are likely to dominate moving forward.

Big Week for AI Tools

Thomas shared his hands-on thoughts on a wave of new AI launches that are especially relevant for content creators:

GPT-4.0 Image Generation (Native in ChatGPT)

OpenAI’s latest multimodal model is a big leap forward.
Unlike DALL·E, this model uses the same system for both text and images, allowing for better understanding and iteration.
You can generate infographics, charts, or blog visuals directly from detailed prompts.
It also creates realistic, “normal-looking” images, not just the polished ones typical of older models.

Ideogram 3.0

Strong contender for thumbnail and graphics creation.
Excellent with text rendering, design consistency, and stylistic control.
Ideal for YouTube creators, bloggers, or anyone who wants more visual control over AI images.

Google Gemini 2.5 Pro

Google’s latest “reasoning model” excels at data analysis and synthesis.
Useful for content ideation, especially when analyzing performance data (e.g., YouTube stats).
Offers smart insights like “why your content performed well” and ideas for what to make next.

Thomas highlighted how these tools are making it easier than ever to create visuals, save time, and experiment with new types of content creation.

From Calculator Sites to Newsletters

Both Jared and Thomas shared updates on their side projects, each reflecting different angles of the content game.

Jared’s Calculator Site Project

All five calculator-based sites are now live.
Three have been indexed and are getting some early traffic.
One had an initial spike, followed by a decline—classic “Google dance” behavior.
Early indicators suggest these projects will need time and backlinks to break into top rankings.
Jared noted it feels like a throwback to traditional SEO—where new domains take months to mature.

Future plans include:

Testing calculator content on existing, aged domains to see if performance improves faster.
Applying calculator tools to client websites as lead gen assets (e.g., cost estimators for local services).

Moved to Beehive and niched down to focus on practical uses of AI.
Subscriber count has grown from ~2,900 to over 3,500 in just a few weeks.
Sponsored placements through Beehive are already generating income, and the ease of use has led to 3–4 sends per week.
A YouTube channel tied to the newsletter has started growing unexpectedly fast, gaining traction without a dedicated strategy.

What started as a simple email project has become a multi-platform brand.

Weird Niches of the Week

This week’s “weird niche” picks featured two very different but equally fascinating examples: Music Map and Coffee Copycat.

Music-Map.com

A quirky but fun discovery tool that maps related music artists based on listener behavior.
You can click from band to band to explore similar artists, forming a visual web of connections.
The site gets significant traffic (possibly 300K+ monthly) with minimal monetization—leaving room for expansion via programmatic content or affiliate offers.

CoffeeCopycat.com

A more traditional content site focused on recreating Starbucks-style drinks at home.
Strong imagery, detailed recipes, and helpful content.
Ranks for branded “copycat” recipe terms and saw a significant lift in the March Core Update.
A great example of how old-school content models can still thrive with quality and niche focus.

Final Thoughts

This episode covered a lot of ground—from the micro-level impacts of the March update to the macro shift in how search and AI are reshaping content creation. Whether you're building niche sites, running a newsletter, or experimenting with AI, there’s plenty here to take away.

The big themes:

Human-created content still matters—and may be gaining ground again.
Google’s AI ambitions are real, and they’re rewriting the rules of search.
Tools are evolving fast. If you’re not experimenting with them, you might fall behind.

The post What Google’s Latest Update Really Means for Small Publishers appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How CJ Gustafson Built a +60k Subscriber Newsletter as a Side Hustle

Samara Kamenecka — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:48:34 +0000

What does it take to grow a thriving newsletter with 60,000+ engaged readers all while working full-time as a CFO?

CJ Gustafson, from Mostly Metrics, is on this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits Podcast to share how he built a highly profitable brand on the side.

In this episode, he delivers a masterclass in newsletter growth, monetization, and the power of niche content.

This is a conversation packed with actionable insights and behind-the-scenes stories, and CJ reveals how he turned a once-slow-growing side project into a high-performing B2B media brand serving over 60,000 subscribers—including CFOs, founders, and business nerds who geek out over financial models and company benchmarks.

Watch the Full Episode

From CFO to Full-Time Creator

CJ Gustafson’s story is a compelling one.

As a tech CFO, he climbed the corporate ladder, gained experience in private equity, and ultimately found his passion in financial analysis and scaling businesses. But in December 2020, he started something on the side—Mostly Metrics, a newsletter that would eventually become his full-time pursuit.

For nearly two years, CJ’s newsletter had just 400 subscribers. He admits it was tough, but he kept writing because he believed in the process. He soon discovered that his unique way of explaining financial metrics and business concepts in plain English was what resonated with people. By simplifying complex topics and infusing humor into his content, he found his audience.

Fast forward to today, and Mostly Metrics has over 62,000 subscribers, a mix of paid and free readers. He recently took the leap and left his CFO role to focus on the newsletter and its related ventures full-time.

Finding the Right Audience

Initially, CJ was writing for “CJ from five years ago”—someone trying to understand financial metrics better. Over time, his audience refined itself:

25% are CFOs or work in finance roles
20% are entrepreneurs and business leaders looking for better ways to allocate resources and track metrics.
The rest are investors and business enthusiasts who enjoy learning how companies make money.

One key lesson CJ learned: niche audiences can be extremely valuable.

He questioned whether his target audience was too narrow, but he realized that CFOs control company budgets and make critical financial decisions—making them a highly valuable group for advertisers.

Growth Strategies That Worked

CJ’s newsletter growth didn’t happen overnight. He tested several strategies, some of which worked exceptionally well:

Owning a Niche on Twitter
- He created a list of 20 finance-related terms and phrases
- Every night, he searched Twitter for those terms and left insightful comments while linking back to his newsletter
- This method helped him grow from 1,000 to 10,000 subscribers
Guest Posting for Companies
- CJ leveraged his expertise to write guest posts for well-known financial brands like Brex and Mercury
- These partnerships gave him credibility and helped him reach larger audiences
Starting a Podcast
- His podcast, Run the Numbers, gave him a steady stream of content ideas
- Conversations with CFOs and industry leaders provided new insights that he could turn into newsletter topics
Leveraging Substack Recommendations
- Being on Substack allowed him to benefit from their recommendation system, which brought in new readers who already followed similar content.

At around 8,000 subscribers, CJ noticed a shift—his newsletter was now gaining 50+ new subscribers daily, purely through word of mouth and organic growth.

Monetization: Building a Business

CJ’s business model evolved over time.

Here’s how he makes money today:

1. Paid Subscriptions

He turned on paid subscriptions at 11,000 subscribers
The paid newsletter costs $15/month or $150/year
Paid content includes playbooks, templates, and deep dives into CFO strategy

2. Sponsorships and Ads

CJ runs one ad per newsletter, keeping the content clean and premium
He sells sponsorship packages quarterly, bundling both the newsletter and podcast
This structured approach helps maintain long-term advertiser relationships

3. Data Reports

His new Finance Tech Stack 2025 Report is the first of what he expects to be a lucrative data business
He surveyed over 1,000 CFOs on the tools they use and benchmarked them by company size

4. Exclusive CFO Dinners

Hosting in-person dinners for 20 CFOs, with a few paid sponsor spots, allows for networking and monetization
Sponsors value the chance to connect directly with decision-makers

Key Metrics to Track

As a numbers guy, CJ is meticulous about tracking success. Here are the key performance indicators (KPIs) he watches:

Shares and forwards: The strongest indicator of engagement and organic growth
Subscriber growth rate: Averaging 1,500–2,000 new subscribers per month
Engagement signals: More important than likes, he values personal replies and discussions from readers
Conversion rates for paid subscribers: Helps determine the effectiveness of his free-to-paid content strategy

Lessons for Aspiring Creators

CJ’s journey offers several takeaways for those looking to grow their own audience and monetize content:

Write about what you know—but make it accessible.
Find your audience by engaging where they already are.
Quality content leads to organic growth—don’t rely on hacks.
Diversify revenue streams, from paid subs to sponsorships and events.
Create a unique voice and lean into your personality.

Final Thoughts

CJ’s success with Mostly Metrics shows that great content, strategic growth, and audience trust can turn a niche newsletter into a thriving business.

By focusing on quality insights and making financial concepts relatable, he’s built something that CFOs—and anyone interested in business metrics—can’t wait to read.

Links & Resources

The post How CJ Gustafson Built a +60k Subscriber Newsletter as a Side Hustle appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Shoppers Are Turning to AI Chatbots Instead of Google. Here’s Why

Samara Kamenecka — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:44:38 +0000

This week, Jared Bauman and Thomas Smith sit down for another insightful episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, diving into some major industry shifts.

They talk about how AI search is changing the way people interact with Google, the slow but potentially impactful March 2025 core update, and the latest AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic.

They also share their side hustle wins and struggles and dissect a few weird niche sites.

If you're looking to stay ahead in SEO, content creation, and AI-driven marketing, this episode had plenty of takeaways.

Watch the Full Episode

AI Search is Changing the Game

First, they talk about how Adobe recently released a study analyzing over a trillion visits to U.S. retail sites and surveying 5,000+ consumers to uncover how AI-powered search is impacting search behavior, engagement, and online shopping.

Key findings include:

1300% increase in AI search referrals during the 2024 holiday season compared to the previous year
2000% jump in AI-driven traffic on Cyber Monday alone
AI search users engage more: 8% longer time on site, 12% more pages browsed, and a 23% lower bounce rate than traditional search users
39% of consumers use AI search for shopping, 55% for research, and 47% for product recommendations

Why AI Search Users Are More Engaged

They talk about how the Adobe study suggests that AI is more effective than traditional search at matching users with content and products they actually want. Several factors contribute to this:

AI search engines personalize recommendations based on previous interactions, leading to higher conversion rates and engagement.
Companies are prioritizing AI search experiences, placing AI-generated results prominently, which can siphon off high-intent users before they ever reach traditional search listings.
AI search minimizes ad clutter, making the browsing experience more seamless and trustworthy.

The Implications for Content Creators and Brands

As AI search gains traction, brands and publishers must adapt their SEO strategies to stay visible. Jared and Thomas talk about how traditional link-building may become less impactful as AI search engines rely more on brand authority, external signals, and contextual relevance rather than just backlinks and keyword optimization.

To prepare for the shift, they discuss how brands should focus on:

Increasing external mentions and citations across the web
Building a strong social media presence and digital PR strategy
Experimenting with AI-focused content formats, such as FAQ-style pages and structured data that AI models can easily interpret

Google’s March 2025 Core Update

Next up, they talk about how Google officially launched its March 2025 Core Update over a week ago, but the impact has been slower and less volatile than expected. They talk about SEO analyst Barry Schwartz, who notes that while some sites report ranking shifts, it has not been as widespread as previous updates—yet.

However, SEO experts like Glenn Gabe suggest that significant ranking changes may have started before Google officially announced the update. Google maintains that earlier fluctuations were unrelated, but industry insiders suspect they were part of a broader adjustment process.

Will This Update Reward High-Quality Content?

Google has hinted that it aims to reward creators and original content publishers in 2025. Jared and Thomas discuss trends observed so far:

Original news content appears to be gaining rankings. Sites that produce unique, timely reporting have seen an increase in visibility.
Video and multimedia content, especially YouTube, TikTok, and Shorts, are showing up more prominently in search results.
No major penalties have been reported, which is good news for many publishers who suffered from previous updates.

While we are still awaiting further shifts, creators should monitor traffic closely and consider adding news-style or video content to future strategies.

New AI Models Focus on Creativity, Not Just Raw Power

Several major AI models have been released recently, including Claude 3.7 Sonnet from Anthropic and GPT-4.5 from OpenAI. Instead of simply pushing for bigger, more powerful models, these updates are focusing on practical applications like creativity, reasoning, and user interaction.

Comparing Claude 3.7 and GPT-4.5:

Claude 3.7 excels in creative writing and user interaction. It’s ideal for blog writing, storytelling, and brainstorming content ideas.
GPT-4.5 improves world knowledge and personality refinement, making it better for structured outputs like newsletters and persuasive writing.
Raw computation power is no longer the main focus—these models are optimized for real-world usability rather than just benchmark scores.

Side Hustle Shenanigans

This episode also featured updates on Thomas and Jared’s side hustles, both of which revolve around newsletters but with different strategies.

Jared’s Weekend Growth Newsletter – Now two years old and approaching 10,000 subscribers, this newsletter focuses on online business insights. While content creation has become easier with experience, challenges remain, such as maintaining growth and securing sponsorships.
Thomas’s 9 to 5 News – A local news newsletter focused on the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 3,400 subscribers and a 60% open rate, it generates significant engagement and helps drive traffic to his Bay Area Telegraph website, which is monetized through Mediavine.
Both newsletters demonstrate the power of consistency in building an audience, even if monetization strategies differ.

The Weird Niche Sites

Jared and Thomas also highlighted two fascinating niche websites:

Wallet Burst – A site that builds financial calculators tailored for the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. Instead of relying on traditional content, they focus on tools that provide unique value and rank well in search.
Quick Jewelry Repairs – A jewelry repair business that offers an unexpected service: professional jewelry untangling. Customers can mail in their tangled necklaces and chains for professional untangling at $15 per item, showcasing how even the smallest niche can be turned into a profitable business.

Key Takeaways for Content Creators and Entrepreneurs

The landscape of online search and content marketing is shifting rapidly:

AI search is reducing reliance on traditional SEO and rewarding brands with a strong online presence across various platforms.
Google’s updates continue to evolve, with early signs indicating a preference for news content and multimedia.
New AI models are focusing more on human-like creativity and practical use cases, rather than just raw power.

Staying adaptable, testing new content formats, and investing in brand authority will be crucial strategies in 2025.

The post Shoppers Are Turning to AI Chatbots Instead of Google. Here’s Why appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

How Joe Davies Built a $12 Million Company With a Team of Just 15

Samara Kamenecka — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:30:00 +0000

In this episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Jared Bauman sits down with Joe Davies, the co-founder of Fat Joe, an agency that specializes in providing premium backlinks and content for agencies.

Joe shares his journey from the early days of SEO to growing Fat Joe into a successful business.

He talks about everything from productization, outsourcing, and scaling a service-based business, and how he earns $12 million a year in revenue with a team of just 15.

Watch the Full Episode

Solving a Common Problem in the SEO Industry

Joe's introduction to SEO came unexpectedly.

After working in various roles, including at a vending machine company, Joe transitioned into SEO by chance.

By 2012, he co-founded Fat Joe with his business partner, aiming to solve a significant problem they encountered while working at an SEO agency.

Their challenge was finding reliable, high-quality suppliers for backlinks and content. After struggling with inconsistent results from freelancers and vendors, they saw an opportunity in the market to create a service that would consistently deliver premium SEO services, supported by great customer service and easy-to-use systems.

Key Early Decisions

They identified a gap in the market for a consistent provider of high-quality backlinks and content.
The decision to outsource rather than build an in-house team allowed them to scale faster.
By focusing on reliability and customer support, they quickly built a reputation among agencies who shared the same frustrations.

Overcoming Growing Pains in the Early Years

In the early days, growth came quickly, but it also presented several challenges.

Fat Joe was overwhelmed by demand, with far more clients than they could handle. The initial approach involved relying on spreadsheets to manage orders, which became inefficient as the business expanded.

By the second year, they realized they needed to develop software to streamline their operations, making it easier to deliver their services at scale.

Growing Pains

High demand and inefficient order tracking led to growing pains.
The decision to build their own software streamlined their processes and improved delivery times.
The lessons learned reinforced the importance of planning for scalability early on.

The Power of Outsourcing

Fat Joe’s operational success lies in its ability to outsource key functions, particularly content creation and outreach for link building.

Joe explains that while many associate outsourcing with poor quality and lack of control, Fat Joe has successfully scaled by defining clear criteria and building a system that ensures quality.

Joe emphasizes that outsourcing is not about reducing quality, but about finding the right system to manage remote work effectively. By training and onboarding a large pool of writers and content creators, they were able to scale without sacrificing output or quality.

Outsourcing Benefits

Outsourcing has enabled Fat Joe to scale rapidly without increasing overhead costs.
They manage a core team of 15 people, supplemented by a pool of outsourced talent, allowing them to take on a high volume of clients.
The key to success is setting clear standards and criteria for outsourced work.

Simplifying Services for Better Scalability

Fat Joe’s transition to a productized business model has been pivotal in their growth.

Instead of offering generalized SEO services, they broke down their offerings into specific, easily deliverable components like link building and content writing. This approach eliminates ambiguity and makes it easy for clients to understand exactly what they're buying.

Joe highlights the importance of defining services in terms of components and automating the ordering process. This productized model has allowed Fat Joe to streamline its operations, reduce custom requests, and scale quickly without becoming bogged down in bespoke work.

Benefits of Productization

A productized service model makes it easier to manage and scale.
Clients can easily select the services they need, minimizing back-and-forth communication.
Productization reduces operational complexity, making it easier to project revenue and manage resources.

Targeting the Right Market

When Fat Joe started, they targeted SEO agencies directly, as they understood the pain points of these businesses.

Agencies, in particular, offer a high lifetime value because one client often brings in multiple sub-clients, expanding the scope of business. This focus allowed Fat Joe to scale without spreading themselves too thin.

Over time, they’ve expanded to serve end-users as well, such as brands and site builders, but agencies remain their primary market. Joe notes that agencies value Fat Joe’s service because it fits seamlessly into their larger SEO strategy without the need for consulting.

Key Target Markets

SEO agencies remain Fat Joe’s most profitable and scalable target market.
End-users like brands and individual site owners also benefit from Fat Joe’s services but with different needs and expectations.
By focusing on agencies, Fat Joe can leverage larger contracts and a higher volume of work.

Leveraging Ads and Branding

Fat Joe’s growth strategies include a combination of paid advertising and branding efforts.

Initially, Google Ads helped them scale quickly by reaching customers actively searching for link building services. Over time, they expanded into Facebook ads, but Joe acknowledges that the strategy is more complex with this platform.

Joe also emphasizes the importance of brand building through social media and expos.

Fat Joe stands out by focusing on fun, memorable campaigns instead of getting bogged down in technical SEO jargon. Their branding efforts help create recognition and build loyalty.

Key Growth Strategies

Google Ads provided immediate results, with a high ROI on targeted search queries.
Facebook Ads are effective when used with a funnel approach, offering value like eBooks or webinars.
Brand-building through expos and quirky social media campaigns has helped Fat Joe stand out in a crowded market.

The Importance of Customer Support

Customer service plays a crucial role in Fat Joe’s business model.

Despite automating much of their operations, they maintain a dedicated in-house support team that quickly addresses any issues that arise. Joe highlights the importance of great customer support in maintaining long-term relationships and generating repeat business.

Customer Support Strategy

In-house customer support ensures fast response times and a high level of service.
They prioritize resolving issues quickly, even offering refunds when necessary to maintain customer satisfaction.
A strong customer support system contributes to positive word-of-mouth and repeat business.

Conclusion

Joe’s journey with Fat Joe demonstrates the power of productization, outsourcing, and scaling through smart operational decisions.

By focusing on consistency, building systems for scalability, and targeting the right market, Fat Joe has grown into a successful business with a small but effective team.

Whether you're running an agency, a cleaning business, or even a SaaS company, the principles of productization and outsourcing can help you streamline your operations and scale faster.

For more insights from Joe, check out his Twitter and LinkedIn, or join the free community for agency owners at Scalers.so.

Links & Resources

His website, Fat Joe
His free agency community, Scalers
Joe on Twitter

The post How Joe Davies Built a $12 Million Company With a Team of Just 15 appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Google’s March 2025 Core Update is a Win for Content Creators

Samara Kamenecka — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 15:02:41 +0000

Welcome back to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News Podcast!

This week Jared and Thomas talk about Google's March 2025 Core Update, news that AI search engines struggle with proper citation, and the DOJ's push to break up Google's monopoly. When it comes to Side Hustle Shenanigans, Thomas reveals a viral Facebook page strategy that netted 22,000+ likes for just $200. Lastly, they share some weird niche websites, including a secret gaming site and a vintage toaster business.

Let's dive into the details!

Watch the Full Episode

Google's March 2025 Core Update

Google’s March 2025 Core Update has officially rolled out, and this one comes with an interesting promise: prioritizing content creators. While core updates typically take two to four weeks to fully roll out, early signs suggest that human-created content is seeing a boost.

Key takeaways:

Google’s announcement emphasized improving visibility for content creators.
Some website owners, like Thomas, have already noticed significant traffic increases on original human-written content.
Google Discover traffic is up, suggesting a greater focus on surfacing quality, engaging content.
This shift may not be purely altruistic—Google relies on high-quality human content to train its AI models.
Speculation remains: Will AI-generated content see a decline in rankings?

While it's too early to say for sure how this will play out, initial data suggests that content creators who have been struggling after past updates may finally see a win. However, fluctuations are common during these rollouts, so patience and monitoring are key.

AI Search Has a Major Citation Problem

A recent study by the Columbia Journalism Review analyzed eight AI search engines and found they all struggle with proper attribution and accuracy when citing news sources.

Key findings:

60% of AI-generated citations were incorrect.
One chatbot, Grok3, had a staggering 94% error rate in citations.
AI tools rarely admitted uncertainty and often fabricated information instead of refusing to answer.
Some chatbots disregarded robots.txt rules and accessed blocked content, raising ethical concerns.
AI frequently linked to syndicated versions of news rather than original sources, creating issues for publishers.

This highlights a major flaw in AI-generated search results: they struggle with real-time, breaking news. Unlike Google, which has spent years refining its ability to surface fresh content, AI models primarily rely on older training data and struggle to integrate new information.

For publishers, this raises concerns about AI scraping content without proper attribution and the potential monetization impact. With Google seemingly leaning toward surfacing more human-created content, could this be their competitive advantage against AI-driven search competitors?

The DOJ’s Push to Break Up Google

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is intensifying its antitrust case against Google, proposing a series of drastic measures that could reshape the search and digital advertising landscape.

The DOJ's key proposals:

Forcing Google to divest Chrome, which would significantly impact its ability to collect user data.
Banning exclusive agreements that make Google the default search engine on browsers and devices.
Requiring Google to open its search data to competitors for a decade.
Implementing government oversight on AI-related investments to prevent Google from monopolizing AI search.

While Google intends to appeal, the bipartisan support for stronger antitrust measures suggests real change may be coming. If Chrome is divested, Google's ability to track user behavior across the web could be severely diminished, affecting its advertising dominance.

For digital marketers and website owners, this could have wide-reaching implications. More competition in search could mean more traffic diversity, but it could also disrupt ad revenue models.

Facebook Page Growth for Pennies

Thomas shared his recent success with a Facebook page growth strategy that leveraged viral-style engagement ads.

His strategy breakdown:

Focused on viral, high-engagement topics (dogs, cats, and religion).
Used AI-generated ads to create engaging posts.
Ran a Facebook Likes campaign at $0.006 per like—a fraction of the typical cost.
Grew the page to 22,000+ likes in under two weeks.
Experimenting with monetization options, including the Facebook bonus program and external traffic arbitrage.

This experiment highlights the potential of Facebook for low-cost audience building. The next step? Figuring out how to best monetize this audience through either direct monetization on Facebook or by driving traffic to external platforms.

Weird Niche Websites of the Week

What appears to be a site about culinary schools is actually a hub for unblocked games, likely targeting students trying to bypass school internet filters. The site, Culinary Schools, is a kids' gaming haven.

The site gets 500,000+ organic visits per month.
It ranks highly for “[game name] unblocked” queries, helping kids access games even when browsing restrictions are in place.
Monetization is likely ad-based, given the high page views and engagement time.

This clever pivot showcases how rebranding and targeting a new audience can completely transform a website’s success.

Michael, a vintage toaster enthusiast, has built a business restoring and reselling antique toasters over at Toaster Central.

His website ranks for terms like “vintage toasters” and “antique toaster restoration.”
Some refurbished toasters sell for hundreds of dollars.
He provides educational content on toaster history and maintenance, positioning himself as the go-to expert in the niche.

This is a great example of a passion-driven niche that has turned into a profitable online business.

Final Thoughts

This week’s topics—from Google’s update to AI’s citation failures and the DOJ’s crackdown—underscore the rapid changes happening in search and digital marketing. The key takeaways for content creators and marketers:

If you produce high-quality human-written content, you may benefit from Google’s latest update.
AI search still struggles with accuracy, particularly for real-time news content.
Major antitrust changes could shake up search and advertising—stay tuned.
Low-cost Facebook audience growth is possible, but the real challenge is monetization.
Weird niches can be goldmines, whether it’s kids' gaming sites or vintage toasters.

As always, these developments will continue to evolve, and keeping a close eye on the trends will be key. Be sure to tune in next week for more updates!

The post Google’s March 2025 Core Update is a Win for Content Creators appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Niche Pursuits

How Chris Christensen Built a 2 Million Download Podcast and Six-Figure Travel Brand

Watch the Full Episode

From Silicon Valley to the Podcast Hall of Fame

Breaking Down the Business: How Chris Monetizes His Podcast

Lessons Learned: What Chris Would Do Differently

The Power (and Challenge) of Podcasting

Final Thoughts

Links & Resources

Related Posts

How Dominik Sobe Grew HelpKit to $10K/month

Watch the Full Episode

Getting Started with HelpKit

The Struggle for First Customers

Finding Product-Market Fit

Pricing Strategy and Lessons Learned

Side Projects and Lessons from Failure

Final Thoughts

Links & Resources

Related Posts

Tyler Bishop Explains How First-Party Data Can Add 15% to Ad Revenue

Watch the Full Episode

The Decline of Third-Party Cookies

The Rise of First-Party Data

The Changing Ad Model for Publishers

Practical Steps for Publishers

The Future of Advertising and First-Party Data

Final Thoughts

Links & Resources

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How LaShonda Brown Scaled a $50/mo Subscription into a Six-Figure Business

Watch the Full Episode

Growing a YouTube Channel Without a Massive Following

The Power of Brand Partnerships

How LaShonda Grew Her Business and Membership Program

Tips for Content Creation and Repurposing Across Platforms

Building a Membership from Scratch

Final Thoughts

Links & Resources

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How Ryan Atkinson Achieved Six-Figure Success with Outbound Strategy

Watch the Full Episode

From Corporate to Entrepreneur: The Spacebar Visuals Journey

The Power of Outbound Outreach

Overcoming the Hardships of Entrepreneurship

The Key to Spacebar’s Success

Looking Ahead: What's Next for Spacebar Visuals?

Final Thoughts

Links & Resources

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How Jay Clouse Turned a 200-Member Community into 6-Figure Revenue

Watch the Full Episode

From Product Manager to Creator Scientist

What Is Creator Science?

Why The Lab Works: Designing a Community to Stay Small and Valuable

The Power of the Annual Membership Model

A Data-Driven Content Machine

Discovery vs. Relationship Platforms

Is a Community Right for You?

Naming and Positioning Matter

Final Thoughts

Links & Resources

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How Forrest Baumhover Recovered $10K in Monthly Traffic

Watch the Full Episode

Forrest’s Background and How the Website Began

Early Growth and Content Strategy

The Impact of Google’s Helpful Content Update

Doubling Down on YouTube: A Key to Recovery

The Comeback: Recovery and Growth Post-Update

Monetization and Future Plans

Key Takeaways from Forrest’s Recovery Journey

Final Thoughts

links & resources

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Watch the Full Episode

Getting Started with Vending Machines

How to Find the Right Locations

Types of Machines and Products to Consider