Written by María Santoja
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If we have a business, we probably want to promote it on social networks to make it known and connect with our target audience. However, it is important to know how to choose in which social networks we want to present our brand, since not all of them will be useful for our business. When planning our strategy, we must take into account, in addition to opening a profile in one of the general social networks, which niche social networks are the most used in our sector.
But before we start getting into the subject, we need to clarify some concepts and know exactly what niche social networks are as opposed to generalist social networks:
- Horizontal or generalist social networks: these are the well-known social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus, which do not focus on any specific topic and provide space for communities of all kinds.
- Niche social networks: revolve around a specific topic that links the entire community. Users of a niche social network are a specific audience who share an interest in a particular topic. These specificities can range from hobbies they have in common, such as cooking or sports, to personal characteristics such as, for example, profession or family situation.
The difference between niche social networks and vertical social networks can be quite blurred, or even imperceptible. However, in my opinion, the difference lies in their level of concreteness. For example, while Flickr is a general photography social network, Catmoji is a cat photo social network. Another comparison that can help illustrate this difference is between LinkedIn, a social network for professionals in general, and DevianArt, a community specifically for art professionals, with graphic designers, illustrators and painters.
The “niche” is an old marketing acquaintance that has some advantages. Niche social networks will allow us to reach fewer users, yes, but with specific characteristics that can be very beneficial to carry out our marketing strategies. These platforms will gather users around a topic of common interest, therefore, to the extent that this topic is related to our business sector, it will be interesting to be present in this niche social network.
Although the reach of niche social networks is not as large as that of generalist ones, these platforms allow us to build loyalty with users that match the target audience of our brand.
Undoubtedly, there are sectors that are more grateful than others when it comes to planning a social media strategy. The following is an ordered list of social networks by topic that may be useful to you.
Gastronomy
Gastronomic social networks have proliferated in recent years. The succulent dishes that enter us through our eyes no longer only invade our Instagram through stories or our Facebook wall, but have their own social networks, both focused on recipes and catering in general. Therefore, restaurants, bars and cafes have a great advantage when it comes to planning their social media strategy. In fact, here we find very niche social networks, as we not only have gastronomic social networks in general, but also specific ones for tapas, wine, pastries, etc.
- Funcook: this social network of recipes has a couple of curious peculiarities; on the one hand, it allows you to create a shopping list by adding the ingredients of the recipe you want to make and, on the other hand, it has a section of questions and answers from users about general doubts.
- The fork: this platform, owned by TripAdvisor, allows you to make reservations at millions of restaurants around the world. Users can also leave their recommendations and ratings for each restaurant. Fork features a reward system whereby you can get discounts on your next reservations if you use the application. For restaurants, the platform facilitates reservation management and helps to increase their visibility on the Internet.
- Happy Cow: sometimes it is not easy to find vegetarian and vegan restaurants, especially when traveling abroad. On this social network, users share their discoveries and rate veggie restaurants around the globe.
- Untappd: the social network for beer lovers. It allows the user to keep a record of the types of beers drunk and the place, add comments and photographs. It also functions as a community in which users recommend each other’s breweries and beer brands. But above all, it is beneficial because it allows brands to connect directly with their customers and even analyze consumer trends.
- Vivino: is the world’s largest wine social network. The wine cards are really complete and are nourished by the information provided by the users. It allows you to add reviews and scores as well as create lists and, best of all, it allows you to access information about a wine by scanning its label with the mobile app.
Tourism
Although tourism and hospitality are very dynamic sectors, they are also very competitive. Some big brands are already investing in Online Marketing. However, for most companies in the sector, this is still a pending task. Both hotels and travel agencies or tour operators have great allies in social networks to showcase their products, give confidence and above all, build customer loyalty. There are many travel social networks, but here are some of the most interesting ones:
- Tripadvisor: perhaps the mother of all social networks for the hospitality industry. Any self-respecting establishment should have a Tripadvisor account to be able to manage customer comments and provide a quick response to their queries. In addition, user feedback is an inexhaustible source of information for the company to continue to improve. The establishment’s file is a showcase to showcase its strengths.
- Tripwolf: is a comprehensive travel content network. It combines both content generated by professionals and content from the users themselves.
- Minube: a travel social network with a strong visual component. Users share comments and photos, and businesses can also appear with integrated advertising on the platform.
Fashion
Fashion and social networks go almost hand in hand. It is only necessary to see how it-girls get hundreds of followers on their Instagram accounts. If we are a fashion brand, a store or a professional in the sector, we can use social networks to showcase our products, to present ourselves as fashion experts and to spot trends. There are quite a few social networks dedicated to fashion, and new ones are emerging all the time. Let’s take a look at some of these niche social networks:
- Chicisimo: a social network for sharing photos of fashion looks, with the possibility of searching by type of garment and color. It allows you to tag garments by brand and even link it to the store where the user has made the purchase.
- 21buttons: is probably the most used fashion social network by influencers at the moment. You can create “closets” where you can store the clothes that inspire you or that you would like to buy, share your own outfits and interact with the looks of other users.
Education and upbringing
When we talk about niche markets, we often use the example of “new parents” as an example, because this is a very heterogeneous group of people who nevertheless have something in common. What is true is that children do not come with an instruction manual, and the advice that used to come from family and friends in the immediate environment is now sought in online communities. This is why social networks on parenting and child rearing are a real mine for companies and professionals in the sector:
- La puerta del cole: this social network aims to capture the spirit of parent chats at the school’s door. The platform is organized by schools where there are forums where different topics can be raised. In addition, you can also buy and sell second-hand school supplies.
- Tiching: this social network is specially designed for teachers to find and organize educational resources for their classes. In addition, as a good social network, these materials can be shared with the community. Tiching is also open to parents and students.
- CafeMom: this social network specializes in mothers and mothers-to-be. At CafeMom, moms can share their experiences, ask for advice and get information. It is available in English and is a women-only site.
Pets
If there is one thing that abounds on the Internet, it is pictures of “crawlies”. Yes, animal lovers are a fauna in our own right, but also a very fruitful niche for companies. Just as we have seen with the “parents” segment, “cuddly and puppy parents” also go out of their way for their furry children. It is not surprising that there are specific social networks on the subject, and not a few! If you have a veterinary clinic, a pet store or a dog grooming salon you should take a good look:
- Doggy Talky: this social network is based on a mobile geolocation application for dogs. Doggytalky allows dog owners who live nearby to meet and socialize their pets. Profiles can be created for dogs and a directory of services such as veterinarians, dog trainers, pet stores, associations, etc. can also be integrated.
- Facepets: in addition to cats and dogs, this social network about pets also includes hamsters, turtles and fish. Profiles can also be created for the animals, but there are also contests and the possibility of creating an online store, both of which are very useful for companies in the sector.
Sports
Finally, we can affirm that people who practice a sport feel it as a true passion, just look at the boom in running in recent years! In addition, these hobbies are often linked to the values of healthy living, aesthetics, self-improvement, etc., so that the feeling of community is very strong. There are specific social networks for various sports, as well as for exercise in general. Here are some examples, but there are many more:
- Timpik: this social network allows athletes to track their training and achievements based on gamification. It is also great for organizing and sharing sporting events, such as tournaments or just casual games. It works with an app that allows the geolocation of events, and above all, for companies, it even allows the collection of registration fees.
- SocialGym: this platform is quite unique, as it is designed for gyms to organize their own social network. It works through an app, and in its free plan users can have a record of their workouts. However, the most interesting are the payment plans for gyms and sports centers, which allow you to set up rankings of the most active clients, organize challenges or publish class schedules.
- Moterus: for bikers, it allows you to create user profiles, organize outings, view routes and participate in groups and forums. Users have access to discounts, so brands have a great opportunity to reach their target audience by offering exclusive promotions.
Literature
Goodreads: in this social network, avid readers share their reviews and rate books of any genre. You can create lists of the books you have read, the ones you want to read in the future and mark your progress on the ones you are currently reading.
Music
SoundCloud: music creators use this social network to publicize their work and share it easily through social networks. SoundCloud is great if you want to find new artists or, if you are the artist yourself, connect with other creators.
Bandcamp: through this social network, little-known musicians can sell their music without all the usual intermediaries and obstacles. Those who wish to support the artist will be able to download his album by paying an amount of money within the range chosen by the musician.
If you have had a chance to take a look at any of the niche social networks we have listed, or others, you will realize that many of them are not designed for businesses. In fact, most of these social networks do not have company profiles as we could find in generalist portals such as Facebook. What do we do in these cases? Well, as is almost always the case in marketing, it will depend. Sometimes we can create personal profiles focused on our company, with our brand name. In other circumstances we may be interested in working on our personal brand, creating personal profiles and linking the content to our business. What we must be clear about is that, regardless of whether or not the platform is focused on companies, our use of them must be professional, i.e., we must have an social media strategy: a a defined communicative tone, a publication calendar and an action protocol. for the different situations that may arise.
In this article we have introduced you to some niche social networks that you can work with, depending on your industry, when planning your social media strategy. However, you should keep in mind that the subject matter will not be the only determining factor when choosing a social network. As we have already mentioned, the most important thing is that the social network is made up of a community that matches your target audience, and this does not only mean that they share an interest. You should also make sure that the users of the social network coincide with the geographical area where your company operates, and that they speak the same language as you. It will be useless to find the ideal niche social network that exactly matches the scope of your company if it is an Australian social network and you are a physical store that sells only in the Madrid area.
Increasingly, we are finding social networks on specific topics. However, we should take advantage of these platforms as tools to give visibility to our companies or brands, but always working on the strategy beforehand.
