Are you trying to find a way to market online? Are you a traditional local business needing to expand online? We all have heard no matter how new you are to any type of marketing concepts this word called “niche”. Sometimes just reading it makes me want to itch in confusion because it gets used quite frequently. This article is short and is intended to initiate some ideas you may have.
What is a niche?
The very definition of niche is that it is relevant to a specific area of interest. An exact definition out of the ol’ dictionary states: “A special area of demand for a product or service”. “Weddings” could be considered a niche, but it’s not a very specific one. “Wedding Cakes” is more of a niche. You probably get the idea that the more detailed you are, people will gain the impression that you will be able to answer their questions. You will gain the trust if your information provides value. It is important to balance the broad range of knowledge you’ve developed to create a great user experience while you develop your niche/information online.
On whatever topic your niche is in, sometimes being too specific might pigeonhole yourself but at the same time it could answer people’s question like I stated earlier. With the evolution of the internet, many people are searching online for answers. They may need your product/service but if you don’t position yourself online, then you are losing opportunities. It’s best just to get started and dive in. Otherwise, time will go by and nothing has taken place.
Common sense seems to say that if you appeal to a wide audience as you can then that is the best way to attract more customers to your product, services or information. You have to love the internet because of the fact you can share your passions and interests with people outside your immediate area as well.
Start Locally
There is some truth to this, and it’s very true that the most profitable companies are international. But the flip side to this is that most of these companies did start out as local entities that simply kept growing. Think about Facebook. They started at Harvard in 2004 and now today they span across the globe in most countries that allow their people to have freedom to share life online in the community. Very few companies make their start hitting the international scene directly. Working worldwide requires an incredible attention to detail and generally a large staff of people who can pay attention to what regions are interested in what products and services you may have to offer. I mean, who can afford to do that right out of the gate?
Act Locally
In short, if you’re a smaller business, you’ll undoubtedly find it’s much more cost effective to market to your local area first. Of course, the nature of the Internet, international shipping, and product demand being what they are, if you’re running a car parts dealership in Kansas City and you get a query from Kansas City, you’ll be able to help. Yet for marketing to be most effective, if you’re based out of Kansas City, it will help if most of your marketing is targeted toward Kansas City. This means that even if you don’t have a brick and mortar outlet, the costs of shipping and communication are much lower as compared to trying to do business with people in Moscow. (I wonder if we can borrow some of their tennis players? Ha)
Once your business takes off, you can start marketing yourself to a wider range of audiences. If you start in Kansas City, move from there to the greater Kansas City suburbs, to the Midwest, to the country, to Canada and across the world. Assuming your product/service is accommodating on a global scale. Maybe you start out within 200 miles from your city?
Just like any type of endeavor, understanding the basics to build upon will be a key to develop your niche. Starting out locally may lead to a smaller audience but you can test out several ideas without the anxiety of trying to “take over the world” all at once. Especially doing it online. Check out Affiliate Marketing – 7 Steps for Beginners.
Start with your niche, start local – and grow.
PS- Don’t worry, there will be more information I will provide soon J.
Dynamic, high-energy executive with history of performance-oriented leadership to e-commerce sales and marketing within the online marketing and advertising industry. MichaelStults.com is where I share my thoughts on different marketing methods, wordpress, leadership, and various topics that I feel inspired to write about. Please take time to learn more about Rare Disease at www.BriParDun.com