By: Farrah Frattaroli
Social media plays a highly important role in today’s society and it allows you to connect with others to voice your own opinion on certain topics. I think to be successful on social media platforms you should figure out what your specific niche is when creating social media content. A niche is something that sticks out about you that is different from everyone else. A niche regarding social media is a vertical social networks, which is a way for audience members to get information that is valuable to cater to their specific needs. There are many different examples of niches on social media platforms, for example, a new network called NextDoor that focuses on connecting neighbors making it a more personal experience that reaches a smaller target audience. This is important in the world of PR agencies because it makes you stand out from the competition by catering to a smaller specific audience. By catering to a specific niche you will automatically stand out from the competition and having one client will help you continue to grow in the industry.
Vertical social networks allow you to join platforms that are catered to a specific audience that allows them to not get lost in major social media platforms like Facebook when the content is irrelevant. There are many advantages to using these vertical social networks because it allows the audience member to get information that has value and a purpose to themselves. For example, “People can receive specific and targeted content on a daily basis and, more importantly, connect with people who share the same interests,” (Koksal, 2019). This quote shows that the content they are getting on these vertical social networks gives the audience a purpose for them, which is to create relationships and maybe business partnerships. There are many examples of different social networking sites that would be considered a vertical social network.
Instead of advertising on a large social media channel like Facebook there are many other smaller networks that allow you to connect to a more niche audience. An example of this smaller social media platform would be NextDoor. This is a website where you are able to plug in your address and find people that live in your neighborhood. This is considered to be a niche platform because it reaches a smaller target audience instead of using a larger platform. One article states, “ These networks offer powerful advertising platforms and highly target campaigns,” (Ramirez, 2020). This shows that networks like NextDoor have an advertising advantage because they have unique opportunities that stand out from the competition and do something for a specific market. The service specializes in a hyperlocal networking service that allows you to connect with your neighbors and the people that live around you. This allows you to connect with local individuals that have similar interests. In the world of advertising and public relations (PR) agencies, it is important to know your client’s niche in order to help them remain true to their brand and cater to their direct target audience.
There are many challenges in today’s society that make it difficult for PR agencies to stand out from the competition. However, to differentiate yourself from the competition you must have a specialization that your agency does differently from others to cater to an underserved market. For example, “The only way to grow quickly is to strategically identify a underserved market and focusing all your efforts on positioning yourself to full that need,” (Rafii, 2016). This quote shows that if you master one of these underserved markets you are able to build your client base and provide a space for other markets to come. This information is beneficial for myself because I am able to think strategically and come up with creative ways on social media to target to a specific niche in order to help an underserved market be categorized into a specialization. Underserved markets can be a problem because they are in every industry however, if you think strategically it will allow you to stand out from your competition and increase brand awareness.
Overall, I think that is highly necessary in the vast world of PR agencies to understand what a niche is and how it is one of the most important aspects when dealing with a client’s brand. This is important because some agencies can be too broad with their capabilities instead of finding their own niche in the market. A niche is something that sticks out about you that is different from what the competition is doing. A niche can also be considered a vertical social network because it is where you can join networks that have a specific audience. Smaller social media platforms like NextDoor allows you to do something different from everyone else; here they cater to people in surrounding neighborhoods. It is beneficial to understand what a niche is in PR agencies because it will help when working with clients that needs to stand out in order to help an underserved market that needs representation. In a world where PR agencies are mostly focused on lifestyle and beauty by creating a specific niche will allow your agency to stick out from competitors that deal with larger market platforms.
References
Finding Your Niche: Who’s Your Audience And What’s Your Social Strategy. (2020, May 25). Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://blog.issuu.com/finding-your-niche-whos-your-audience-and-whats-your-social-strategy/
Koksal, I. (2019, December 23). The Rise Of Niche And Vertical Social Networks. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ilkerkoksal/2019/12/21/the-rise-of-niche-and-vertical-social-networks/
Rafii, T. (2016, March 21). Find Your Niche: Building a Specialized PR Agency. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.prnewsonline.com/find-your-niche-building-a-specialized-pr-agency/
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