Relatability was my hook, and it worked

In June 2018 I launched my first website that I treated strictly as a business in the highly competitive personal finance space.

This side project (I also work full-time for a SaaS company in marketing) was not only to help people learn about finances but to earn additional income, with the goal of one day being acquired.

Fast forward to Summer 2021 and I sold it for $65k+ with final earnings from those 3.5 years in low 6-figures (this includes the acquisition number). And now working on my next project, https://remoteworkjunkie.com/.

It was a challenging building a financial website that earned attention, but a fun journey to grow on the side with very small budget.

So how did I try to stand out in this crowded market?

For me to stand out early on, I found my niche in the space.

My story being: I'm not a millionaire, not retired early, but I taught myself and here's where I'm at. Essentially, showing readers that, "Yes, you can do it too and don't be afraid of fancy words or what financial professionals say."

That to me resonated better, even though it is respectable for those who retired early or invested their way to millions at young age.

There are tons of those kind of websites out there, but I barely found anyone like me, in the trenches to better their financial knowledge. And I knew it was probably way more relatable to most people, compared to a retired 35 year old millionaire.

So you need a hook, a story, an edge first to tackle a tough category. Generally, there is still room for anyone, as long as you carve out your own lane.

I also used HARO to get press and my story out, which I was able to get on most major publications that had various money articles.

Financial categories are hard for Google to trust you, especially if you want your content to rank well. So I needed to build expertise, authority, and trust (EAT), and by having links and my name in bigger publications, it built credibility early on in Google's eyes.

Beyond HARO, syndicating my content and social media were two big drivers, until Google helped kick in and boost more traffic.

For those getting started, whether a SaaS product, website, or something else, it is important to find your angle and hook in a crowded market. What can make you relatable, but also different enough to gain an audiences' interest?

And when it comes to marketing, there is not a "one-size-fits-all" approach.

It's different for each project, even if in a similar category.

I'd recommend testing three marketing channels or so for a bit, see what is working, and then double down on one until you mastered it, then move on. It can be a grind, but that's what it's all about!