Media is changing for the better in the Poker Affiliate IndustryInternet Marketer and blogger Justin Goff outlines the current changes in media and the benefits to poker affiliates. Media is changing for the better
by Justin Goff
I wrote an article a while ago about the changing face of media. I posted it on the forums here at PAW and didn’t get a response. Maybe it wasn’t news to anyone. Maybe I didn’t go into enough detail. I’m not really sure if that matters anyway. If you aren’t aware of how media is changing, then you better catch up, or you’ll be left behind.
We all understand the Internet has started a huge shift in media. Without it, none of us would be producing poker related content. The beauty of the Internet, is that no one cares what you’ve done, who you know or how much money you have. If you have the drive and knowledge to do it, you can make it happen. Just as recent as ten years ago, this was not the case for most people. If you didn’t know someone with connections or startup money, you were doomed from the start. Now, anyone can get online at the public library and start a blog for free, or put up a website that costs less than $100 a year to run.
As it gets easier for people to make their own media outlets, I think it will become more apparent that users are attracted to two important qualities in a website; specific niche information and user based communities. Now what do I mean by all this? Since people are looking for specific things these days, niche marketing is the way to go. Look at what Jeremy has done with PokerAffiliateWorld. This is a great example of taking a niche and turning it into an industry leading portal. The affiliate business was booming and there was no websites where webmasters could discuss strategies, industry information and other affiliate news. Finding a niche which needs to be filled, and has a lot of potential is the best way to make money.
The second new idea, which I think is the most important is making the site for the users. Look at the hottest things on the web right now. What are they? ; YouTube, MySpace, Wikipedia and blogging. These applications all focus on the user. Everyone wants to have a webpage as a way to express themselves, MySpace made this easy for the masses. Most people are very visual and love to watch and make videos. YouTube made iot so your average user can watch and upload videos instantly. Wikipedia is a bit different, but it follows the same formula. Users send in their info on a topic, and in the end Wikipedia has built the most comprehensive, detailed database of information on any topic you could imagine.
All of this is part of a new wave of online users that personalize everything for themselves. If you don’t like the information ESPN is sending you, you can start your own site, or your own webcast of sports information. In the much bigger picture, it’s almost like a revolution of the masses. People are finally realizing they don’t have to settle for mediocrity anymore. They can do something about it.
There’s a lot of good information that we can take from this and use as webmasters. Start focusing more on your users, and less on the revenue you’re trying to make. In a week your user will have 1,000 more options other than your site to get their information from, so keeping someone a loyal reader is more important than ever. Focus on creating your own unique community, and your users will develop an emotional attachment to your brand. It’s the best solution for both you and the users in the long haul.
Justin Goff just started his first business related blog, and it can be found at www.JustinGoff.com
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Jun 17, 2008
