Most businesses and individuals are on all the major social networks. This means that marketing for Facebook, Twitter, and the like becomes somewhat easier over time, as there is a lot of group knowledge about the best ways to reach out to an audience via these regularly-used channels. But what if there’s a social network out there that is a little more tailored to the focus of your business?
Take Pinterest – it was once mostly seen as a way for women who were interested in fashion and shopping to be able to collect images of the things they wanted to buy. This sounds like a perfect place for designers and clothing stores, for example, to meet potential fans and customers. Over time it has become the “next big thing” – with fans, marketers, and brands jumping on to check it out. It’s no longer a “niche” social network, but that doesn’t mean it has value for everyone, or that it looses it’s value for the initial early-adopters.
In all things marketing, you must know where your potential customers and fans are. If you have a product or offering that has a good visual representation, or if you know your audience is busy pinning away, then Pinterest might be the right social network for you to add to your arsenal. However, it’s not worth simply jumping on the bandwagon if there won’t be much return on investment.
Marketers and companies often find success in less well known places. For example, businesses in the food and beverage industry may be looking at up-and-coming sites like <a href=”http://www.foodspotting.com/”>Foodspotting</a <http://www.foodspotting.com/%22%3EFoodspotting%3C/a> >, and wondering why they even need a Facebook or Twitter account.
But balance is important, and no matter how much a targeted social media site may seem like the best fit for your company, in the end (at least for now) you’re always going to have greater access to a larger audience on Facebook and Twitter. Use your niche social networks to harness the audience there, but don’t forget to post links on the major social media sites to the content you upload elsewhere.
The purpose of this is twofold. One, it alerts people to the other social media sites you use, and may help encourage people to join those sites and follow you if the focus of the site appeals to them. Two, for those potential customers who like to keep things simple and stick with Facebook, you don’t lose them – you just add another interesting facet onto your existing social media strategy.
