Niche Platforms Thought Paper
Utilizing a niche group should benefit a company’s strategy to connect with their customers and potential customers. It is part of human nature to gather with individuals who are similar to us, and society has been meeting in small groups for centuries. We want to associate with other people who like and dislike what we do, and it makes us feel good to be in agreement with those around us. In the social media world, individuals are now seeking platforms to meet others who have similar interests, without the crowded communication and conflict in other platforms.
People who were once fascinated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others, have realized all those major social platforms are becoming too similar with not much distinction. Once, the large social media platforms appealed to a broad range of individuals, but in their quest to reach everyone, those platforms have lost the focus as to why they started in the first place. It’s not to say that the major social media networks are going away, but many individuals are seeking a more personal social connection with others; those who have similar hobbies, passions, beliefs and characteristics. As indicated in the first line of Birds of a Feather study published by Annual Reviews of Sociology in 2001, “Similarity breeds connection” (McHugh, 2018).
People want to feel they are connected with others in smaller, more intimate groups, and share discourse with those who are like-minded. “The benefit of niche social networks is that they allow people to find others with the same specific interests” (McHugh, 2018). Facebook, with its 2.85B members, cannot possibly provide an intimate and secure place for people to share their thoughts. Given the recent political landscape, many Facebook users were frustrated with the vicious comments and in some cases, bullying. Perhaps that is why many people on Facebook develop individual groups they like to join and why the rise in popularity of the niche social platforms. The niche social networks “differentiates someone from the millions of others on social media” (Ware, 2020).
What are the advantages of niche social media for companies wanting to connect with their prospective customers? The goal for social media marketing is to reach customers and prospective customers, to build awareness and brand loyalty, and over time increase company’s revenue. The niche social network provides companies a distinct target customer with whom they want to connect. For example, if the company specializes in unique travel packages, connecting on the TripConnect travel social network will reach those individuals who may buy their product. Why should a company spend excess marketing and social media funds on trying to connect using a massive social media platform, when they can be much more strategic?
The key of many social media niche groups is the members have joined to be more user oriented. They want to share ideas and ask questions, but not to be inundated with ads or links to buy products. If a company is willing to be patient and gain the awareness and trust of the users, the business will come. In addition, on many of the niche social media sites, “there is an option for users to recommend businesses they have had positive experiences with” (Spencer, 2018). Therefore, businesses must be careful about coming on too strong within these groups and wait until the connection is forged through meaningful dialogue.
It is essential, if your business desires to succeed in today’s ever changing and competitive landscape, “to provide a relevant experience, and convenience for the customer” (Williams, 2019). Listed below are several brand influencers who are doing a great job of connecting within their niche social media group. “In 2017, Jenny Anderson created a blog, Girl of 10,000 Lakes, to inspire people to get outdoors and explore Minnesota” (Ware, 2020). It must be working, because Jenny currently has 18.5k followers.
Another example, Jonah Kest, is a “travel and yoga influencer” (Ware, 2020). Jonah travels the world to share his passion for yoga and take pictures. Jonah currently has 154k followers.
A third example is Annie Nicholas, an author who writes novels and is delighted to answer questions from her readers in Goodreads. Annie continues to connect with her readers with her website and on Twitter but will certainly attract new readers from her posting and communication in Goodreads. Incidentally, I’ve noticed several successful authors, such as Michael Connelly and R.L. Stine, no longer accept questions from their readers. Perhaps there is a price for being too popular?
There are pros and cons for both social media major and niche platforms. In the future, I foresee an advantage to utilizing both methods, depending on a company’s marketing and social media strategy.
References:
McHugh, M. (2018, July 16). Will Niche Social Networks Save Us From Facebook? The Ringer. https://www.theringer.com/tech/2018/7/16/17576802/niche-social-networks-alltrails-untappd-runkeeper.
McPherson, M., Cook, J. M., & Smith-Lovin, L. (n.d.). http://www.leonidzhukov.net/hse/2017/networkscience/papers/McPherson_HomophilyInSocialNetworks.pdf. www.annualreviews.org.
Spencer, J. (2018, September 26). The Future of Social Media Platforms and Ways in Which Businesses Can Utilize Them. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/320510.
Ware, R. (2020, October 21). Social Media Influencers: Find Your Niche: Find Your Influence. https://findyourinfluence.com/social-media-influencers-find-your-niche/.
Williams, A. (2019, May 15). Move Over, Social Platforms: Niche Online Communities Are the Wave of the Future. MarketingProfs. https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2019/41128/move-over-social-platforms-niche-online-communities-are-the-wave-of-the-future.
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