There are fashion influencers. There are tech influencers. And now there are… niche site influencers!
When I came up with the idea of writing this article I have to say I struggled to come up with a good term that would encapsulate exactly the people I’m trying to write about – folks who earn a living by creating and monetizing niche websites and write about their journey on blogs and social media.
Independent publishers, content site creators, and website operators rely on these popular niche site influencers to guide them and grow their businesses.
Here are the best ones to follow.
Spencer Haws
Spencer Haws has been writing about the blogging industry for more than 10 years. He runs the popular website NichePursuits.com and regularly interviews bloggers from all niches on his popular podcast. Follow him @nichepursuits.
Jon Dykstra
JGD Media Group is a media company founded by Canadian Jon Dykstra in 2012. Its flagship property, Homestratosphere, receives around 1.8 million visitors each month. Dykstra writes about independent web publishing on Fat Stacks each month. Follow him @FatStacksBlog.
He’s skilled at adapting to the volatile search algorithm changes, and has since pivoted to relying on newsletter traffic to his niche sites. He currently has over 69,000 subscribers on his B2C list. He’s also launched a local Vancouver newsletter with around 5k subscribers.
Scott DeLong
Scott DeLong is an OG marketer who went mainstream after launching ViralNova, a site that profited off an early Facebook algorithm that favored “clickbait” articles. The site went on to earn millions until Scott sold it.
He moved on to other online projects after the sale and pivoted to email marketing after Facebook’s algorithm changed. Scott stated in a recent conference that when he sold his latest project OnlyinYourState, DeLong had close to 1 million email subscribers and acquired half of those through Facebook ads.
I wish he tweeted more often, but when he does, it’s good!
Niche Site Lady
@NicheSiteLady is an anonymous travel blogging influencer based in the UK. Reddit users have speculated in the past that the blog she writes is CruiseMummy but I’m unable to confirm this myself and it appears the thread discussing this topic has been removed.
Tony Hill
Influencer Tony Hill has mastered the art of Pinterest traffic. He publishes the women’s beauty blog Latest-Hairstyles.com, advising women around the world on how to style, cut, and color their hair. The blog receives more than one million page views each month, primarily from Pinterest. Follow Tony’s traffic tips on his blog or read his tweets @tonythill.
Niche Twins
Keith and Mike are twins who publish the travel blog Stay New England, full of first-hand tips to experience the best of the region. They bought and now operate one of the most affordable keyword research tools out there: Keysearch.
Ewen Finser
Venture 4th Media operates multiple niche websites in diverse verticals. The online niche site company is run by Ewen Finser. Here are some of the sites the media organization runs:
- GuitarSpace.org (300k)
- onlinecourserater.com
- theathleticfoot.com
- 2caffeinated.com
- alloutdoorsguide.com (100k)
- mtbinsider.com
- thebabyswag.com
- wellnessappliances.com
- vinodelvida.com
- loveyoutomorrow.com
- altprotein.com
- digitalguyde.com
- total3dprinting.org
- subscriboxer.com
- saltedangler.com
- thegymlab.org
- betterwander.com
- simguided.com
- rvpioneers.com
- axleandchassis.com
Anne Moss
Moss Digital Publishing is a digital media company founded by Anat El Hashahar, who goes by Anne Moss in the US. Anne has built her media company from the ground up. She began by founding the cat forum website The Cat Site (1M) before deciding to invest the advertising profits into niche content sites across different verticals.
Moss Digital Publishing generated nearly $200,000 each month at its peak. It employs 50 employees full-time. Moss has stated in a recent podcast interview that her top 5 websites bring in 70-80% of her overall revenue each month. 90% of revenue comes from display ad revenue, and the rest comes from Amazon affiliates.
Anne Moss’ portfolio of websites (1,2) includes:
- HomeDecorBliss.com (1M)
- VEHQ.com
- KitchenSeer.com (150k)
- TripMemos.com (50k)
- HVACseer.com
- GardenTabs.com
- Hamsters101.com
- MeowHoo.com
- CraftsBliss.com
- FitSeer.com
- ForFreezing.com
- DoorDodo.com
- RoofKeen.com
You can read about Moss’ digital publishing journey on her blog Yeys.com.
Paul Lemley
Digital Authority Group is an American digital media group founded by Paul Lemley in Minnesota. Lemley runs 50 niche sites and expands into 10 new websites every quarter.
- RunnerClick.com (120k)
- EarlyExperts.net
- Walkjogrun.net
- Gearweare.net
Nat Berman
Uncoached Corp was founded by Nat Berman and operates in different niches such as pets, finance, travel, automotive, home, and entertainment.
- moneyinc.com (1M)
- kittentoob.com
- unrealitymag.com
Jeff at Passive Income Unlocked
Jeff at Passive Income Unlocked grew a portfolio of niche sites to more than 1,000,000 page views and $50,000/month. I enjoy following his journey. Here are some of the sites he runs:
- Mybackyardlife.com
- bakingkneads.com
- Wigglywisdom.com
- thepracticalplanter.com