Social media can help propel a business to success, and while there are some businesses that may not have a social media presence, there are 70 million business pages on Facebook alone. Niche businesses can benefit greatly from a social media presence.
But the first step is starting to segment your target market to ensure that you know your segment’s:
- Shopping habits
- Interests
- Values
Once you understand your audience, you’ll have a better understanding of whether your target market is using social media.
Connect with Influencers
You can pay for advertisements on social media, and a lot of businesses will dedicate some of their marketing budget to buying advertisements. But there is a rise in the number of businesses that are contacting influencers directly.
Perhaps a business is selling medical scrubs, so they may connect with a Grey’s Anatomy fan page and pay to have them promote or advertise their scrubs.
Supplement companies directly connect with fitness enthusiasts, especially those with a strong following, and will offer them free products. In return, these influencers, those that have a high level of engagement, will promote the product on their page, story or in a post on social media.
It works very well, and in many cases, influencer spending will outperform traditional ad spending.
Focus on Your Main Platforms First
Don’t try marketing your business on every platform at one time if you don’t have a massive budget. Most niche businesses, especially those that are just starting out, will need to focus on the main platforms first.
The most popular platforms are:
- Snapchat
And the platform that is best for your business is the one that your demographic tends to use the most. If your target demographic is older, you may want to target Facebook rather than Snapchat, which has a higher concentration of teens.
Give Your Brand a Personality and Face
Brands need their own personality and face, but a lot of them show nothing more than a picture or a wall of text. Your brand needs to have a personality and face that is consistent among all platforms.
When properly branded, your brand will gain more attention and more sales as a result.
How can you make your brand have its own personality?
- Create a face for your business, much like Elon Musk has done for Tesla.
- Be personal in your posts. Consumers respond better to honesty than a bland presence.
When a brand has its own personality and face, it will start to promote itself. People will begin talking about your brand and helping you make sales organically.
Consistency will also be key.
Consumers all need a problem solved, and this could be a nurse needing a better fitting scrub, or it can be a person that has back pain and needs a firmer bed to offer relief.
Offline marketing should also promote your social media accounts, helping you attract new followers in the process. Regularly posting, interacting with the right target audience and reaching out to influencers can all help build your social media presence and niche business.