Nouveau Niche: What’s New in Niche Marketing
Image by Todd Coats
Industry Predictions
12.16.2008
As consumers, we have asserted our right to get the information we want, when we want it. And we decide where we’ll go to get it. In the choices consumers make, we segment ourselves into identifiable market segments. These online niches are a marketer’s dream because they afford the opportunity to appeal to a specific behavior or interest rather than reaching out to a broad demographic.
It’s hard to say which side benefits more. As consumers, we get the information tailored to our issue or interest, and we sidestep the clutter of unwanted or unnecessary information. As marketers, we can reach – with near-pinpoint accuracy – the audience we’re targeting. And we don’t waste time and money on folks who don’t care and won’t buy whatever it is we’re selling – be it a product, a service, or an issue. So, done right, the “new” niche marketing bucket makes our jobs easier and our campaigns more effective. All communications disciplines can benefit from strategically targeted messaging.
Ineffective banner ads are a thing of the past. Along with context-sensitive content, niche Internet advertising, done correctly, is arguably the most cost efficient and effective form of advertising around. Using geo targeting, progressive marketers are combining traditional media with new media to create powerful marketing programs. David Silverman, a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Entertainment, Media & Communications Practice, said, “Due to the unique efficiency and effectiveness of targeted and measurable campaigns, Internet advertising has shown strong growth in the first six months of 2008, compared to the same time period last year. This growth has come in spite of an environment that has put significant pressure on the advertising industry in general.”
Unlike straight advertising, the power of public relations rests with establishing credibility with the targeted customer group. Until recently, most of this was accomplished through an independent third party – usually a member of the media. But times have changed, and with them the roles and methods for carrying out public relations. In many cases, the independent third party no longer exists. The days of (snail) mail news releases are long gone, and I suspect the days of a blanket news release distributed via a news wire are numbered, as well.
Targeting your audience is now much more direct and is more a matter of identifying the relevant sites, discussion boards and blogs – and pinpointing messages where they will spark interest and action. In addition to allowing you to communicate directly with key audiences, this new, less rigidly structured approach allows you to keep an eye on things – monitoring the discussions where free-flowing, often anonymous postings can cause big problems. Responding to a misguided comment posted on a Web discussion board may help squelch rumors before they can catch fire.
Finally, you should take the time to explore various layers of Internet niches. While the Top Ten Internet portals are still king, consumers spend a lot of their surfing time at the local level. And relevant local media and niche content websites frequently top their ‘most visited’ lists.
While the vehicle for niche marketing has changed, the strategy remains the same: Understand the issues, pinpoint your audience, know where it congregates. Then craft smart communications that will stick.
