Why it’s time to find your social media niche
It was John D. Rockefeller, one of the most influential entrepreneurs in history, who said: “If you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” As he was likely speaking around the early 1900s, it’s safe to assume that he wasn’t urging businessmen to veer away from the beaten tracks of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as social marketing platforms. Yet, roughly 100 years later, Rockefeller’s quote is spot on when it comes to social media marketing in the present.

Today, the best way to maximise the effectiveness of your social marketing spend is by doing exactly as Rockefeller suggests: now is the time to strike out on new paths, and these new paths lie in niche social media platforms.

Niche social networks: the new marketing frontier
While it’s become an expected standard for businesses to have a presence on at least one of the major social networks, these platforms are fiercely competitive, making it challenging and costly to get your content or adverts seen by your target audience.

Luckily, you can still make social media work for you, even with a limited marketing budget. Enter: niche social networks. These are the platforms that hone in on specific sub-industries, activities or interests, like Goodreads.com, for example, where users discover, share and discuss new books and authors. As you’ll see from our previous article The alternative A to Z of Social Media, there’s virtually a niche social network for every business – all you have to do is find the one that matches yours.

The benefits of niche social networks
Although their user base is admittedly smaller than those of the social media giants, niche social networks still have a wide international reach, some with millions of users. Channelling your marketing spend into these highly specialised market segments can therefore prove enormously beneficial for the following reasons:
Increased sales: With niche websites, you’re targeting the enthusiasts who genuinely want to see your content. This means you’ll get a higher number of viable leads that can be captured and guided along the sales funnel.

More engagement: Since the users on niche social media platforms are presumably enthusiasts, they’re more likely to share your content on major social networks, thus growing your audience organically.

More cost-effective: With fewer competitors jacking up prices or bids for advertising space, it generally costs less to advertise or promote your content on niche social media platforms. So for a lower marketing spend, you’ll target a higher percentage of people likely to engage with your brand and purchase your offering.

Find your social sweet spot
So take Rockefeller’s advice (and ours), and explore the new frontiers of social media to find the ideal niche network for your company. Like coming home to a small town, your business will get all the attention it deserves and an open-armed welcome from the enthusiasts in your niche industry.

For more advice or information on how we can help get your social media game up to scratch, contact us at Point and Stare today.