DIGITAL MEDIA GHOST
  • Publication
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Subscribe!
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy >
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations >
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy >
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About

3 Niche Markets Your Business Shouldn’t Ignore and How to Connect With Them

3/30/2017

Comments

 
by Mary C Long

Too often, we assume smaller, niche audiences are just that too small, or too niche.

But if you’re the only brand talking to a small, specific group you're likely to have all of their attention and trust for noticing them in the first place. And likewise, their dollars when it comes time to buy.
​
Here are three niche audiences worth exploring:

Homeschoolers
Not everyone does back-to-school the same way. The homeschool revolution is real, with a growing number of families choosing to teach their children at home. In the past 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of homeschoolers has increased by 68 percent. If you’re not targeting your back-to-school messaging to these families, you’re leaving a lot on the table. In fact, school is always in session for many homeschoolers with different break schedules than traditional school programs. If your back-to-school marketing efforts are taking the summer off, you're missing out on benefiting from this niche's unique scheduling. 

They’re buying pretty much the same supplies, but year-round and when isn’t it a good time to purchase new clothes for growing kids? Retailers offering anything relevant to traditional school families would do well to dream up offers speaking to the homeschool experience as well, specifically by offering sales during off-times/hours when those families are available to shop but others are not. Which is pretty much any time during the school year, while school is in session. Win-win.

Second-Hand and Artisan Shoppers
The DIY-ers and vintage lovers are two growing segments of the luxury goods audience. People purchasing from eBay or Etsy, two of the most popular shopping sites, are looking for a good deal but that doesn’t mean they don’t want nice things. The consumers making eBay one of the most trafficked sites are also the ones buying luxury goods like Apple Watches, designer handbags and kitschy custom furniture offering an array of “have it your way” options.

Charlene Lawson Brown of Tiny Lions Designs challenges customers to “bring us your ideas, your wants, desires, and needs for home decor and furnishings.  If you can dream it, we can build it!” People shopping on Etsy and elsewhere appreciate such one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted items, and high on their list of desirables is quality. That quality isn’t cheap. So luxury retail brands discounting these consumers in their marketing, for example, are making a potentially costly mistake. 

The Gaming Community
Don’t assume old-fashioned gender norms and demographics apply here. It’s 2016 and an open mind is the only way to find new audiences. Gamers are tech savvy and interested in pop culture and many of them are women. If you're only talking to the stereotypical male "geek" crowd, you're missing out on and probably alienating an entire gender interested in your brand.

If you’re a fashion or lifestyle brand the young, diverse, and ready-to-spend gaming community is worth exploring. You’ll need to be culturally relevant, but social media turns that learning curve into a slight bump if you’re watchful.

Connecting Authentically With Niches and All Audiences
If you haven't connected with the audiences above, and other niches gaining popularity in modern culture, it may not be that you don't care about them. It's possible you don't realize they are your audience or a segment of it. Finding and engaging these unlikely audiences requires the right tools and an understanding of how to maximize their application.

If you think you have an audience segment to work with, social listening platforms are the only way to test and see:   
  • If they’re really as powerful and ready to engage as you assume
  • What they’re already talking about and feeling
  • How to engage with them authentically on their terms
Use consumer sentiment monitoring and analytics tools to suss out your “feel-alikes,” as opposed to “look-alikes.” If you make too many assumptions based on just demographics or geography, you'll miss out on some good opportunities, as illustrated by NetBase:

"Consider a 30-something, stay-at-home mom from Detroit, a 20-something tech entrepreneur in San Francisco, and a retired golfer in Tampa. Under old models, you would never have grouped them together. But social insights show you they’re all Harley Davidson enthusiasts and voila! You have a new segment to engage."

With hard data from social tools, you can spot new trends and new audiences worth exploring. Niche markets are specific and small, yes – but that’s what makes them all the more likely to engage with a creative message targeted at them when they see it. So gather some social data and go for it. Your brand and your new audience will be pleasantly surprised.


This post originally appeared at business.com.
Comments
    Picture
    Become a Ghostwriter!
    Picture
    Contribute to DMG
    Picture
    BECOME A GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
    Picture
    PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS BY GUEST POSTING
    Picture
    ARE YOU A GHOSTWRITER? WE WANT TO KNOW!
    Picture
    DO YOU HAVE A GHOSTWRITING BUSINESS?

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Agency Spotlight
    Business
    Digital Marketing
    Ghost In A Flash
    Ghostwriting
    Media Relations
    Privacy Concerns
    Social Sabotage
    Technology
    Writer Spotlight
    Writing

    Advertising Disclaimer

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

Find your domain and create your site at Weebly.com!
Digital Media Strategy
Content Marketing
Law Firm Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Social Media Marketing
eBooks
Writing
Becoming a Ghostwriter
Blogging
Content Marketing
Ghostwriting Services
Guest Post Guidelines
Media Relations
Online Crisis Management
Personal Brand
Public Relations
Reputation Management
About
Our Team
Our Results
Testimonials
Contact Us
Locations:
New Orleans, LA
Nashville, TN


Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookie Policy
Digital Media Ghost  @2020
  • Publication
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Subscribe!
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy >
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations >
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy >
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About