Reaching Niche Audiences: Pushing the Message

Posted on | May 13, 2009 |

by Mary Lou Roberts

Marketers need to achieve significant reach among desirable niche audiences to acquire new customers. That’s how I’m loosely using the term ‘push’– to get the message out and to use the responses for traditional CRM or community-building. Advertising networks are available for that purpose, and today verticals have taken center stage.

Reaching Niche Audiences

There is no doubt that demographics no longer work to reach these markets. That’s true of even large ones, like the young mothers described in part 1 of this series. There are too many other users who share the demographics but not the interests and lifestyles. Self-identification represents a better way to start. On the web, users self-identify by their behavior, by their activities on the web. Marketers have become adept at capturing this information and using it for precision targeting.

Behavioral marketing is the broad description of this technique. The more the marketer knows, the better, but the targeting can begin with a simple descriptor “mother of young children” or “business or professional women 35 and under.” Note that these two groups could share many demographics. In fact, many women share membership in both. The trick is reaching them in the correct context, when their interests are focused on home and family or when they are focused on career issues or any of many other subjects that affect their busy lifestyles, for that matter. Ad networks are the technique of choice for achieving substantial reach on the Internet, and they offer a multitude of segmentation opportunities.

The vertical advertising network is a logical extension, and it’s where the action is today. These networks have a specific behavioral target from the beginning; moms might be one, green consumers another. Marketers can tap into them in two ways. Large media groups like Glam Media are creating their own networks. They start with related media properties and invite other relevant publications to join the network. Their offline reach provides a solid base for growing a network that offers targeted advertising opportunities to reach their market niche. Specialized publishers are also offering vertical networks; the BlogHer network places ads on over a thousand “mommy blogs.”

The other type of networks might best be described as “third-party” networks. They are assembled by specialist marketing services firms. There are literally hundreds of these verticals and more are being added every day. . The April 20th issue of AdvertisingAge that you might find useful [subscription].

There is no consensus on which type of network is best. Networks clearly offer a tremendous opportunity for reaching well-defined segments, but there is also the chance for overlap and duplicate reach. Network media buys need to be made carefully and campaign results rigorously tracked and evaluated.

There’s only one thing that could derail this express. It’s the concern of consumers over how their data is being used. Developments on all fronts are bound to come fast and furiously in 2009!

Reaching Niche Audiences: The Mommy Ecosphere - part 1

Reaching Niche Audiences: Pulling the Content - part 2

Dr. Mary Lou Roberts - author, educator and consultant - is a regular contributor to eBrandMarketing. She also writes for her own blog DIY Marketing.

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