How I Monetized a Niche Community Through Personalized Recommendations
Case Study: Do The Good Stuff
Scenario
I launched Do The Good Stuff in 2016 as a wellness website and weekly newsletter for women and other minoritized groups interested in accessible, self-determined wellness strategies and recommendations. We went into 2017 with an engaged, niche community of subscribers who fit outside of the traditional wellness target demographic and the goal of introducing initial revenue channels to the experience.
Challenge
The audience wasn’t large enough for traditional sponsored content opportunities, however, it was incredibly engaged. That valuable engagement was based on an authentic, self-determined experience that, if monetized in the wrong way, risked losing the trust of the community.
#1 An interactive quiz was the perfect platform for connecting our audience to brand partners through personalized product recommendations
By creating an interactive recommendations quiz focused on asking the question, “How are you feeling?” and following up with relevant tips and product recommendations, I knew we could integrate sponsored product referrals into the user experience in a way that was authentically helpful and capitalized on their high intent to solve their problem, adding value to the subscriber, brand partner, and Do The Good Stuff.
#2 To ensure a win-win, community members and brands were included in the development process
To ensure the sponsored product referrals would stay true to our standard of quality and keep the trust and engagement of our users, I launched an advisory council of wellness professionals, community members, and advisors to participate in the development process. I also worked to expand my network at relevant brands to better understand the value they were looking for that they weren’t getting through existing advertising options.
#3 In-person events that mirrored quiz content were utilized to prove the concept
The initial pitch to new brand partners focused on in-person events that mirrored the content and categories of the “How Are You Feeling?” quiz such as “The No Bullsh*t Guide to Finding Your Chill” focused on stress management and “The Sex Talk You Never Had” focused on sexual wellness. The tangible value of 100 attendees at a hyper-relevant event would help seal the initial paid partnerships and open the door to exploring more partnership opportunities.
To continue the strategy of building on the confidence garnered through the in-person events to secure product referral partners, in-person event sponsorship and Instagram Live events were included in the sponsorship package when pitching the new referral program within the “How Are You Feeling?” personalized recommendations quiz.
#4 A commitment to quality project management made the impossible possible for our small group of freelance contributors
All events, content, product, and partnerships included in this initiative were developed by a group of 5 scrappy freelance contributors. To ensure the clarity, quality, and efficiency of the group, I utilized Asana boards and regularly scheduled team meetings.
#5 Quality content proved to be the strategic center point for the initiative
The primary piece of content for this initiative was the “How are you feeling?” personalized recommendation quiz. That quiz was supported by a network of blog, email, social, and video content that provided relevance and utility to each recommended product.
Digital toolkits such as “Your Guide to Finding Your Chill” and “Your Guide to Boosting Your Energy” provided tangible next steps for individuals seeking advice to improve their stress management and energy alongside products that could contribute to their effort.
Branded blog posts including “These Cannabis Pens Naturally Support Sexual Wellness” and “How to Optimize Your PM Routine for Sleep and Skincare with Moonlit” were used to show individuals how to utilize featured products to support their needs.
Results
The product referral partner program launched with six hyper-relevant brands, reaching the target in both quantity and relevance by vertical. In the two-month pilot period, each brand saw an average of ~20k impressions for their products and converted ~10% of the Do The Good Stuff community as new customers.