Niche Social Media Platforms: A Marketing Strategy Essential
Niche social platforms are becoming increasingly popular as more and more interests and hobbies get their own platform. Whether you are an avid reader (Good Reads), a beer lover (Untappd), or a trail hiking enthusiast (AllTrails) there is a niche social media platform for you to connect with others around the world who share your interest.
Due to their very nature, niche social media platforms have a hyper-targeted audience built right into the platform. “The point is to find a group of people who are very dedicated to something and bring them together.” (Rashid, 2017) If you are a publisher looking to reach an audience of avid readers, Good Reads is full of them. You don’t have to be concerned with wasting advertising and marketing budgets on efforts that reach a while audience solely based on demographics. “…brands that zero in on niche social networks can increase their odds of reaching their target audience significantly and connecting with group members that much more effectively.” (Garcia, 2019)
One major reason for this higher rate of success and engagement is the fact that using a niche social media platform means that you are first targeting psychographics, not demographics, to reach a potential audience. Niche social media platforms are a representation of psychographics, because they “…makes it easier to find like-minded souls, so people spend more and more time engaging with people who share their particular interests and attitudes, even if they’re from a different community or country….” (Samuel, 2016)
Simply marketing and advertising on these niche platforms can have the same effect on your marketing strategy as finding the perfect set of keywords for a Google Ad Words campaign. It ensures that you are meeting a potential audience right when they are thinking and likely talking about something related to your product or service. Just make sure you pick the platform that actually aligns with your brand or product.
“When you incorporate psychographic segmentation in marketing, it helps make your marketing more relevant….” (Why Psychographic) This is because standard demographic information will, as an example, lump all the 18–49-year-old women into one category. But this is not the most effective. Some of these women could be avid readers and others may dislike reading. So for someone trying to sell a new book, advertising or marketing (and no they are not the same thing) on Good Reads with likely get them a much higher ROI than if they used the same tactics on Instagram on Facebook simply using demographic targeting. Using a combination of demographic and psychographic targeting is the best way to target a potential audience.
Houzz is a niche social networking and eCommerce platform centered on home décor and renovation. Companies like builders, remodelers, interior designers, landscapers, and architects can use the platform to show off photos of their work. Retailers that sell goods like cabinetry, lighting, and furniture can use the e-commerce function to sell items in their photos directly through the Houzz platform.
Using Houzz cleverly can be beneficial to both national and local companies. Take the New York-based company TransFORM Home. They are a closet design and professional organization company. They only serve their local New York market. But, I was able to find them while sitting in my home in Florida. How? In the ‘Home Design Ideas’ section of the Houzz homepage, TransFORM Home claims 2 of the 24 top spots when the sorting is set to ‘All Time Popular’.
This means that this small company in New York likely can gain a lot more local business, but could also have an influence on the national market. I know from personal experience in the window and door business that homeowners will bring you photos from sites like Houzz and ask what it would cost for you to give them exactly what is seen. If TransFORM Home has 2 of the all-time most popular photos, it is likely that many other closet design firms across the country have been shown that image by a potential client.
Something interesting to consider with Houzz is how best utilization of the platform changes depending on the type of business. Builders, Architects, and Designers use Houzz not to sell individual products or homes. They use it as a portfolio to show you their style and their expertise. Therefore, for these companies, the portfolio function and review section is used more like a digital portfolio and customer testimonial space. Retailers selling goods are able to show you a beautiful couch in a living room, and you can immediately add it to your cart. There will be product photos, descriptions, and pricing. These are all features a builder or architect would not need but would be essential for a retailer. The portfolio and reviews will still be important for these types of businesses, but it is not the sole purpose of a profile like it could be for service-based providers.
Houzz is a great example of being able to target based on psychographics. This is a platform where people looking to hire, buy, or be inspired by home design companies can explore and interact with companies and their products. “Houzz users are serious about putting their money into ACTION. According to a Houzz survey, most users are homeowners (90%). In the next 2 years, they plan on redecorating (84%), building an addition or remodeling (40%), or building a custom house (10%).” (How Does Houzz, 2016) Those are the exact people someone in this industry would want to reach as part of their ongoing marketing and advertising strategy.
75 Beautiful Home Design Pictures & Ideas — June, 2021 | Houzz. (n.d.). Www.houzz.com. Retrieved June 6, 2021, from https://www.houzz.com/photos/home-design-ideas-phbr0-bp~
Garcia, A. (2019, September 23). 3 Reasons to Pay Attention to Niche Social Networks. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/339532
How Does Houzz Work for Your Business? (2016, December 16). Red Egg Marketing. https://redeggmarketing.com/houzz-for-your-business/
Rashid, B. (2017, May 6). Are Niche Social Media Sites The Beginning Of A New Trend? Forbes. Retrieved June 6, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianrashid/2017/05/06/are-niche-social-media-sites-the-beginning-of-a-new-trend/?sh=6ac9971b3804
Samuel, A. (2016, March 11). Psychographics Are Just as Important for Marketers as Demographics. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/03/psychographics-are-just-as-important-for-marketers-as-demographics
TransFORM Home. (n.d.). transFORM Home — Project Photos & Reviews — New Rochelle, NY US. Houzz. Retrieved June 6, 2021, from https://www.houzz.com/professionals/closet-designers-and-professional-organizers/transform-home-pfvwus-pf~1417695305
Why Psychographic Segmentation is Important. (n.d.). Keap.com. Retrieved June 6, 2021, from https://keap.com/business-success-blog/marketing/email-marketing/why-psychographic-segmentation-is-important#:~:text=When%20you%20incorporate%20psychographic%20segmentation
