Why choosing a niche is so important

What most people don't realise, is that even big companies that sell almost any product make use of strategic marketing to reach niche markets. For example, the company I work for, Imbull is specialised in websites that help visitors find and use vouchercodes and other moneysaving tools. Our biggest website, www.actiecode.nl, has almost 3000 stores listed. With this many stores and niches to take into consideration, it would be easy to think our marketing is very diffuse. But even we have to target niche audiences when we create Adwords campaignes, write blog articles, start a quiz contest, create a strategic social media marketing plan etc.

First of all, niche marketing can be far more cost effective and has been made incredibly easy through online advertising. In Google Adwords and Adsense, Facebook, Linkedin and much more platforms you are able to be very demo-specific in your ad targets. For example, you need to sell more shoes for Company X. If you would start a CPM (Cost Per Mille/1000 views) ad campaign you want a high conversion ratio (turn impressions into actions). When you create two different ads, one with a picture of a basketball shoe targeted at men who have interests in sports, one with a high heel pump which you target at women who like glamour magazines in the age 18-35, your chances of getting noticed are much larger than when you create one ad that simply says "Shoes" and is targeted at both groups.

Niche marketing creates more opportunities, not less. If you can identify the needs and/or demands of your target niche and answer them correctly, you will be perceived as an expert. If we look at the example of running an ad campaign to sell more shoes for Company X, someone who sees an ad that is targeted at everybody and simple says "Shoes" will see Company X as any random generic shoe company. They will loose interest immediately. However, if a male sports fan sees awesome basketball shoes that are 10% cheaper for a limited time only, the customer will consider Company X much more an expert on cool basketball shoes at a good price.

Identifying a target niche is easiest when you stay close to yourself, instead of stubbornly go looking for the ideal target audience in numbers. Look for a situation or type of person you have affinity with and can relate to. Especially when it comes to online marketing, some forcefully try to sell insurance or weight loss plans because they hear of all the money people are making doing this. Why not just write a blog about what your real interests are, make people relate to your story and simply write an advertorial about products you really stand behind and are of interest for your audience once a week. It's all about the niches!