Mass is out; Niche is in

Lots of conversations surrounding web2.0 lately; lots of conference invitations for web2.0 marketing events (none of which I can or will attend - poo-poo). I read a comment recently that the greatest benefit of web2.0 is that the world is your oyster. Groan. Meaning? Dumb cliché aside – thanks to web2.0 the world is the new audience. Eh? Wrong.

If you start targeting everyone, in reality you’re targeting no one. Web2.0 creates outreach (i.e., targeting] and engagement [i.e., the conversation] but understanding who your audience is crucial for defining your marketing message. Particularly for small businesses, marketers need to be cognizant about knowing who they want to reach but more importantly they need to be realistic about who they can reach. One downside of web2.0 for many is that it can create the perception of static “channels” be it social network sites, blogosphers what have you; but as many already know, these channels are constantly changing - new channels open up, some disappear, and the outreach environment for many in terms of advertising is becoming more and more stringent as web users gain more control. As marketer’s, our hollistic marketing strategy has to be based on audience - not on "channel.” That said,

Stop thinking “broad-base” and start thinking “niche.”

Think Blackberry: a niche product that garnered mass-market attention but it grew from the path of niche-mindedness. For many businesses, small and large - there are probably a hundred and one other seemingly similar products on the market that are either skimming the profit margin or blundering horribly. The unique proposition of a partciular product or service is how you get to niche. And within niche-mindedness lies a more compelling, relevant marketing message for your audience. With time and effort and the right people on your team - at the end of the day you will get better results and it will [should] cost you a lot less.