Why the Internet gives you the perfect opportunity to specialize
You’re a manufacturing company looking to launch a new product. How can you find your niche market? Or, more importantly, why would you want to? Doesn’t going narrow mean excluding some of your potential customers? If your product could be for anyone, why zoom in on a specific group in particular?
We believe the Internet provides a key opportunity for businesses to reach highly-targetted markets. What’s more, we believe that manufacturing businesses will have more success online by appealing to a niche market than by creating a generic one. Here’s why.
Think about long-tail keywords
In SEO-speak, “long-tail” keywords are those strings of super-specific search terms which provide more focused results to the user. For instance, you want new footwear for the fall. You know that searching for “shoes” will yield results too broad to be useful at all. Instead, you search for something like “premium leather American-made hiking boots.” That’s super specific, and as a result, the links which you find with it are more likely to be useful to you.
That’s because you’re looking for a niche product. And when you find it, you’re more likely to make a purchase. You trust the companies you find through long-tail searches because they target you directly with their products. They’re not just selling shoes: they’re selling premium leather, American-made hiking boots, which is exactly what you want. It’s like they read your mind.
Steak out your territory
Of course, what they actually did was stake out their corner of the market. They decided to produce a very specific product. Before the Internet, this might have been a risky move, because it was harder for your niche market to find you. But these days, Internet users know how to use search engines to find exactly the product they want. And that means you can be there, ready to deliver it to them when they look.
Nice products mean niche advertising
Of course, it’s not just your product you can specialize: you can focus your advertising, too. This means that when you run a campaign Facebook, you can better place yourself directly in front of the people who are most likely to be interested in you. Again: it’s hard to inspire excitement with something generic. But show someone a product they’ve always wanted but didn’t think anyone would make, and you have an excellent opportunity to establish long-lasting brand loyalty.
Find your niche
Take a look at your product: who does it appeal to? If your answer is “could be anyone,” it’s time to narrow your focus. Think about a very specific market segment, and go after them directly. Make them feel like you’re not interested in just “any customer,” you’re interested in them.
That’s how you find your niche.