Niche Marketing - How to
Contact Your Audience
Is your website targeting a
niche market?
Whether you are following the
advice of top Internet Marketers or if you just
happened to have a business that caters to a
very specific target audience, you must be able
to find them, and they must be able to find YOU.
One of the joys of niche
marketing is the luxury of tapping into a
favorite hobby, occupation or expertise and
building a business around it.
If you are expanding an
existing off-line business by setting up a
webpage you may find your most valuable contacts
right in your store. Make some brochures or
cards that announce your online presence, or ask
customers if they'd like to sign up for your
online newsletter.
Now you can contact your
customers about new products, industry news or
specials with no postage costs or time consuming
envelope stuffing.
Invite your subscribers to
recommend the site to friends who are interested
in the topic. Even better, have a place on your
website to 'tell a friend'. Your visitor will
enter their own email address and name as the
sender of the message to avoid spam complaints.
Warning - do not start emailing the invitee
unless they sign up personally for your
newsletter.
Niche sites will really
benefit from a newsletter. Create a small free
gift, such as a special report or how-to manual
that they will receive with their subscription.
By providing valuable information related to
your topic you will gain the trust of
subscribers. By contacting them at least several
times a year - up to once a week if possible -
they will always be reminded of your website
when looking for information or products in your
niche.
Create a website that has
informative content. Incorporate the keywords
(words or phrases visitors type into their
search engines) into the content to improve your
place in the search engines.
Write articles that will set
you up as an 'industry expert'. If you don't
feel capable of writing them yourself you can
hire a ghostwriter. End the article with your
name, a comment about your business and a link
to your website. Submit your article to relevant
websites or ask if website owners would like to
use your contribution. Be sure they agree to
keep your name and website link intact.
You may find discussion
groups that cater to your market. Involve
yourself in their conversations and attach a
signature with your website address if the
policies permit. Do not advertise on these
groups, however you may be able to offer your
free item when the situation allows.
Try to determine where your
market is. Are they parents? Retirees? Home
owners? Pet lovers? If you are selling art
supplies you may find hobby sites will cater to
your audience. If you sell information for
do-it-yourself projects you should show up in
home decorating as well as financial sites
('Save Money on Home Building Projects!' for
example).
Always look for new
opportunities and offer your best, the rest will
follow!