There is definitely a fire hose of marketing challenges coming at every marketer and business owner.
Whether big or small, businesses direct their marketing to selected niche markets. Even the biggest and empire corporations carefully pinpoint what market they would cater best to maximize campaign effectiveness. The idea simply is “You don’t need to appeal to everyone.”
Niches are all over the place. Instead of targeting the whole wide world, businesses consider narrowing focus to a specific segment of the marketplace. It sounds terribly simple. For decades, niche marketing has given businesses a leg up in the competition; some have gotten it wrong that they failed to appeal to their desired niche market. According to Forbes, targeting vast audiences is also one of the major reasons why businesses fail.
The following tactics can help you be clear about what niche marketing is and how to target them effectively.
1. Would you jump?
When it comes to building a name in the industry, would you jump to the big pond or would you jump to a smaller one instead?
Some businesses are hesitant to employ niche marketing. Some are afraid to have a small share in the market. True enough, it can be tempting for marketers and businesses to target everyone, especially if you’re after reach and revenue. But any business who claims to be catering everyone cannot be appealing to a group of consumers in particular. You won’t be remembered. It is important for businesses and brands to determine first the segment of the market, which they truly cater too. Take for example an online carpet business. Do you think you would appeal to yuppies whose interests are gadgets and food?
Practice nichecraft and start determining a specific industry sector or niche audience. It is among the most effective ways to start the competition and dictate your bottom line.
2. Lead the Innovation
Most of the time, niche businesses are immune to steep competition but that doesn’t mean that you cannot and should not lead innovation in your industry. Mobile marketing, for one, is another huge leap in digital marketing apart from the ever changing and challenging search marketing. A noteworthy article, 14 Influential SEOs on Mobile Search Engine Optimization, highlights the major tactics to delve in mobile search optimization from great digital influencers. Mobile search is rapidly changing the market behavior and intent. With adaptive and innovative approach, even niche businesses can change the game, from being the challenger to industry leader. Always stay steps forward from your competition by leading innovation in your niche market, be it a product extension, a new way to reach and talk to your client or a game changer idea. Lead and own it.
3. Keep Delivering Quality Products and Service
Brands are the sum of experiences and satisfaction it provides to its customers. Especially when you’re targeting a niche market, it is very much crucial to deliver the best product and experience possible.
Have you heard about a pizza parlor near your city that offers free delivery and free hug? That is one of the good tactics you can do. Not only will you hit your customers’ emotional layer but you also make your brand unique and “cool”.
4. Balancing Cost and Finance
Financial aspects are very important and consequential to any business. Production, marketing, distribution, maintenance, everything else runs because of finance. A lot of businesses have been skeptic of delving in niche marketing because they fear losing their market share, their business.
Generally, business growth means increased sales, increased operational costs and capital resources. It has become a common misconception that if you’re not accommodating a wide net with your marketing, you’re leaving the money on the table. It is actually the opposite. Often, it is more expensive and less profitable to sell your business to a wide and non-targeted audience. Though businesses tapping niche markets usually encounter consequence cost, they often face other opportunities in revenue streams. Thus, this should go hand in hand with “innovation”. Balancing cost and effective finance planning is imperative for niche marketing.
5. Calculate Risk and Adapt Agile Marketing
With the quickening pace in modern marketing, niche players should be able to calculate risks and be agile enough to fuel disruptions and gaps in the market they are after to.
Moreover, practicing traditional waterfall method will cost you time and resources before even getting a 98% complete project. For niche businesses, it should be taken into account the principle of continual learning, feedback loops and concept of incremental progress. Businesses that cater to small segments must also be able to calculate risk even before implementation. Is the risk worth trying? Be agile.
6. Be a Thought-Leader
In addition to knowing your market, leading innovation, delivering quality products and some internal practices, it is also vital to know how would you be able to lead and influence the niche market that not currently being tap by other company in your industry. How would you build your brand reputation that will enable you to influence buying decisions of your target niche?
One best ways to build thought-leadership is by becoming an ultimate source for their needs and interests. Make sure that you don’t bombard your niche with content that is about your business and products by large. Sure, it is important to market your business but never overlook the idea that customers are getting smarter and no one will fall for bait. Value what matters to them and from there, build the fortress of your credibility.
7. A Review: Are You Targeting the Right Niche?
A niche is a narrowly defined group of prospects and finding yours might be really fiddly. To check if you’re chasing the right niche, make sure to check these following criteria:
- They have similar unique unsatisfied needs.
- Your product or service can satisfy their needs.
- You can reach them.
- Is the niche large enough to generate ROI?
The market continues to mature and the competition becomes sheer, the demand to find, develop and target specific niche grows.
The more you master these tactics, the more you’ll get to differentiate your brand, achieve less competition and the more effective you’ll be able to target your desired niche.