The Future of Social: Networking in Niche
With the proliferation of social media amongst the mainstream, we are starting to see a noticeable fragmentation amongst users. Niche social networks have exploded on the scene and now offer people an escape from the generic noise of the masses. Interest groups that once settled for major social platforms are moving to greener pastures in the form of niche products that provide highly tailored social experiences. Everything from cars to fashion, parenting to beer drinking, there is a thriving niche social network to join.
So what does this mean for brands? At a glance it may appear overwhelming — “not another media placement”, I hear you say. The reality though, it shouldn’t be ignored and it is actually quite exciting. The key to marketing success has always been segmentation; so in theory, niche social makes it easier to be more relevant and provide better quality interaction with customers. Major social networks may offer incomparable reach, but amongst smaller, more specialised networks users are actively interested and far more engaged.
So where can marketers find their next batch of brand loyalists? Here are my top five emerging social networks no marketer should ignore.
Snapchat
● Founded 2011
● Photo and video
● 100 million monthly active users
The recent target of an unsuccessful acquisition by Facebook and all the rage amongst young people, Snapchat allows users to send photo and video messages that self-destruct. The creators have maintained simplicity at all costs and it has paid off, with the company valuation currently sitting at $10 billion.
Similar to Snapchat’s content partnerships with the likes of CNN, Comedy Channel and Warner Music, many consumer brands are working hard to engage users. With the majority of its users 13–25 years old, online fashion retailer Karmaloop is winning at reaching millennials. They are using Snapchat to send racy snaps of models toting exclusive products and deals to thousands of eager customers. Best of all, the recent addition of Snapcash (in partnership with Square) means brands can now easily accept payments.
Endomondo
● Founded 2007
● Fitness
● 20 million active users
Endomondo’s mission is to motivate people to get active and stay active. They do this by making it more engaging, more social and more fun to exercise. Acting like a personal trainer, the app tracks workouts, providing audio feedback and guidance along the way to encourage users to reach their goals. Recognised as a disruptor, American sports brand Under Armour acquired the company for $85 million earlier this year.
During the Olympics Games and FIFA World Cup, Powerade used brand pages to hit fitness enthusiasts with highly relevant content, further gamifying and enabling users to reach their fitness goals. To date, over 300,000 users have participated in Powerade’s fitness challenges. Be sure to check out Endomondo’s quickly growing suite of advertising products.
Polyvore
● Founded 2007
● Fashion
● 20 million monthly active users
Polyvore is a new way for people (especially females 18–34 years old) to discover and shop for products they love in fashion, beauty and home decor. It plays home to a global community of stylists and fans, who mix and match their virtual closets to share trends and inspire each other. It is sometimes referred to as “the highest converting social commerce platform you’ve never heard of.”
Claiming an average shopping basket of $383 across retail partners, more than Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest combined, Poyvore is proving to be very fertile for fashion brands. In late 2013, Juicy Couture achieved a 256% return on investment after deploying a campaign that challenged users to create branded wish-lists. Polyvore claims their success is fulfilling their users’ need to window shop. They provide a setup for presenting and curating products within a retail context.
Untappd
● Founded 2010
● Beer
● 1+ million monthly active users
Untappd is a new way for beer enthusiasts to share and explore the world of beer. It allows you to see where your friends are, what they are drinking and best of all, receive recommendations. Whilst they remain quiet on brand success stories, several brands are boasting about their marketing wins using Untappd.
Untappd encourages breweries to claim their page and engage with fans. Boston based brewer, Samuel Adams has amassed over 3 million check-ins, and is proactively connecting with customers to discuss products. Brands are also provided consumer trend tools to analyse performance of their brand and the sentiment of their audiences. Several craft beer brands are countering lack of major retail presence by using Untappd to help guide customers to nearby vendors.
Quora
● Founded 2009
● Q&A
● 10 million monthly active users
With a mission to share and grow the world’s knowledge, Quora is a global network for Q&A. Highly democratic, users ask questions and receive answers from real people with first-hand experience.
In 2014, Quora rolled-out verified profiles, allowing a more authentic presence for brands and celebrities. Since then, the most discussed brands on Quora have aggregated more than 1 million followers. Barack Obama and his campaign team even used Quora to answer questions about his Affordable Care Act and drive registration. The president amassed nearly 28,000 followers over the 5 month period and even garnered some very positive press. Obama’s efforts have demonstrated a new way forward for brands looking to humanise their image and enhance their credibility.
These are but a few niche social networks that offer a rich sense of community and time better spent for users. Conversely, for brands, they play home to a highly targeted audience, which if engaged in the right way, can become strong advocates. Marketing with niche social media is an exciting way forward to intimately understand people, and connect with them in a more meaningful way.
