When it comes to content marketing, there are a couple of different strategic directions you can pursue. You can choose to publish a bunch of general content and attract a large volume of low-returning traffic, or you can publish very specific content and appeal to a lower volume of higher-returning traffic. Have you considered the latter?
In the midst of writing and publishing content, it’s easy to feel like your efforts are falling on deaf ears. However, the data clearly shows that content plays a direct role in the purchase decisions of customers.
Unfortunately, many marketers are pursuing strategies where they try to please everyone. As you can guess, this rarely goes well. In order to generate healthy returns from your content, it’s much more important that you identify a niche and address the needs and pain points of this audience.
But what does niche content look like? Well, what better way to understand it than by looking at an example? Here are two: ThisGiftsForMen.com and Killerspin.com. The first is a website dedicated to gift giving ideas for men, while the second is a website all about table tennis and ping-pong. There’s no mistaking what either of these websites does. While they only appeal to a sub-segment of the population, they do a fantastic job of penetrating their audiences.
Today’s generation loves personalization and craves tailor-made experiences. By developing niche content, you can appeal to millennial consumers and reach them in new ways. Specifically, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
When you’re targeting a very specific group of customers, it stands to reason that you’re going to attract more qualified leads to your website. In the end, this lowers bounce rates, enhances conversion rates, and increases the value of your website. There isn’t much more that needs to be said about this – it’s a pretty straightforward concept.
When your site attracts qualified leads, you’re subsequently able to generate more advertising dollars. After all, advertisers like to invest their money into sites that are able to provide isolated and engaged audiences.
Not only do niche audiences allow you to seek out contextual PPC advertisements, but you’ll also find opportunities for referring leads to other websites and making money from affiliate marketing.
“One of the fundamental principles behind how search engines work is that they establish the relevance of content to serve users the best possible results for their specific queries,” SEO specialist Tim Hand explains. “Since keyword relevance of a domain’s content boosts rankings for related searches, it makes sense for businesses to write content related to their field.”
Essentially, what Hand is saying is that niche content – specifically local content – is much more effective in gaining search engine prowess than simply producing fragmented content that fails to put a dent in any individual topic or niche.
Have you ever wondered how individuals and businesses become thought leaders in certain industries? Well, in most cases they target a very specific niche in the industry and write authoritative and unique content. Find a niche that doesn’t currently have a clear thought leader, and make it your own.
Word of mouth marketing is one of the most valuable things a company can ever grow. With word of mouth marketing, you’re able to sit back and watch others enhance your brand’s reputation. There are many different ways to encourage word of mouth marketing, but high-quality niche content is one of the top options in a marketplace that’s driven by sharing content on social media.
One of the biggest downsides of appealing to a wide readership is that you never know who you’re speaking to. As a result, you have to provide a lot of contextual information when introducing new topics or covering technical concepts. This is a waste of time for you and may be a waste of time for some of your readers.
With niche content, you don’t have to worry about including superfluous explanations and detailed context. You can safely assume that your audience understands certain cues and get straight to your point.
There are times when general content works well. Plenty of large websites pursue generalized strategies and enjoy high returns. However, for the large majority of brands and websites, niche content is the only way to stand out in a saturated marketplace that prioritizes personalization.
Be very careful when choosing your niche. Ideally, your niche will be closely related to your most profitable target demographic. Find things that appeal to these customers and build a foundation around these concepts and topics. It may take some time to build up your audience, but you’ll experience much better long-term results by honing in on a niche.
