Author
Marilyn Cowley
If you are involved in the world of social media, you have likely heard the word 'niche' thrown around and have more than likely been told to find yours...but what does that mean exactly? By informal definition, a niche is a corner of the internet that has a well-established audience and culture. For example, where music has genres, the internet has niches.Let’s take one of our clients for example. Field Van has a very unique niche. It is not just travel and adventure, which is an important aspect to lean into marketing-wise, but they also have a unique attribute that constitutes their niche: #Vanlife. This is a well-defined and popular niche and the New Yorker states it as “aesthetic,” a “mentality” and a “movement.”Understanding the niche your brand tends to move towards can have big benefits for your business. Here are four reasons why you should find your niche. Trust us, it’s worth it, especially in the marketing world!1. Reaching Your Target AudienceNiches are like the little neighborhoods of the internet. They help establish your brand with like-minded businesses as well as consumers. Whether it's gaming, fashion or travel, there is a space your brand or business fits in. Using Field Van as an example, someone who wants a taste of the van life may organically discover Field Van through that niche. You’re not just attracting people who own vans, you're attracting people who want to live a similar lifestyle to the niche your business is a part of. In this way, you are expanding your audience. You reeled them in using your niche.2. Establishing What You’re NOTOn the flip side, niches also distinguish what your brand is NOT. Putting up a neighborly fence to separate your brand from similar ones is a great way to deepen your uniqueness and create your own authority in your niche. A niche is meant to be specific, so the more you can cater to what makes you different from other brands and competitors, the better. It also allows you to target a specific audience who is more likely to engage with your content due to similar interests. Establishing what your niche is NOT gives you the ability to make genuine connections with your target audience, which in turn can help increase your engagement and reach. If your brand sells women’s activewear, you wouldn’t use marketing campaigns to target men in their 60’s right?!3. Having a Niche Can Help Increase EngagementWhen you have something in common with a brand or business, you’re more likely to reach out and engage with their content. Engaging with other users is easier when you have a common interest. Leaning into your niche allows for conversation in a tight-knit community with you at its center. In the long run, it’s about connecting with people and fostering loyalty to your brand. Finding your niche plays an important role in increasing your engagement, which therefore can increase your brand's presence overall within your industry.4. Finding Your Niche Helps Makes Content Strategy EasyStaying in your niche streamlines your overall content. It makes content creation easy and more cohesive and helps you create content relatable to your audience. When you have a business that can help others get a taste of the #VanLife, they’re not going to want content about how to be a nomad that travels on foot. Sticking to your niche also gives you a better sense of your audience's desires based on engagement. This makes figuring out what to post much easier.Discovering and leaning into your niche is a great way to stay centered while in the middle of the great big hurricane we call the internet. Go find your niche and let us know how it goes!References:https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bohemian-social-media-movementhttps://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/rise-niche-social-media-platforms-means-marketers
