Big Things Come in Small Packages: How Niche Social Media Platforms Benefit Your Social Strategy
It’s no secret that social media platforms give brands and people the power to maximize their marketing potential. What is a secret to many, however, is the power that niche social media platforms hold. “A niche social network is a social media platform that focuses on a specific interest group or demographic. They are different from the main, big-name social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat and the more recent Tik Tok, in that they do not cater to all audiences” (Farmer, 2020).
So why should we care about these niche platforms?
Goodreads, Untappd, Meetup, and Reddit, are a few examples of niche online communities that have made users feel empowered. Along with empowerment, these “smaller” social media platforms can positively impact any social strategy.
One way to enhance a brand’s social strategy is to make users feel more connected to them. Wanna know another secret? Niche platforms can do just that. These types of platforms are mainly closed groups filled with like-minded users. “Unlike online public forums, the benefit of closed groups is that they encourage community members to open up on a personal level amongst other people with similar interests. This increased trust enables businesses to build closer relationships with their audiences and drives engagement” (Garcia, 2019). Closer relationships and increased trust between audiences and brands ultimately leads to greater brand awareness and, more importantly, greater brand revenue. Brands and businesses should capitalize on these relationship building platforms by creating an online community of users who resonate with their missions the most.
To a similar point, niche platforms can also establish target audiences. These closed groups create a community of like-minded users which provide a brand to having access to highly targeted audiences. “Brands that zero in on niche social networks can increase their odds of reaching their target audience significantly and connecting with group members that much more effectively” (Garcia, 2019). Being able to attract targeted users and potential customers has become so easy thanks to niche social media communities. There is a niche platform out there for virtually every industry and “being active on one of these platforms can help you create a following among people who you already know share your interests and values” (Simonnet, 2017).
At first glance, niche platforms may seem small and irrelevant compared to more mainstream social media sites. But once we take a closer look, it’s clear that these platforms present a potential to make a large impact to both users and businesses. The opportunity of creating connections not only between like-minded users, but between users and a brand, can be one of the most beneficial tactics a business takes advantage of. Sometimes big things come in small packages; Niche platforms are the small packages that brands need to open and utilize.
