Donna Probes: Discovering patrons on your area of interest product | Enterprise

Successfully marketing a niche product requires a unique set of strategies and tactics. It begins with an in-depth understanding of your potential customer.

Marketing a niche product means that you are not selling to everyone. Having a narrow pool of potential customers comes with challenges and ultimately means more work on your part to find those people who fall within your niche. However, marketing a niche product also has advantages once you identify your customers.

When you are targeting a small pool of buyers, you need to understand who is most likely to buy your product and how your product can tap directly into their needs.

Create clarity around your customer’s needs and the value your product can bring to their lives by asking yourself these questions.

• Where are your customers located (virtually and physically)?
• What is the predominant demographic — age, income, education, gender, etc.?
• How do they shop for products and services like yours?
• What physical or emotional need drives them to look for a product such as yours?
• What are their expectations in terms of quality, price, speed of delivery, etc.?
• How will your product rise above the competition?

Engaging with your target customer is another challenge with niche products. To draw them in, you must get your unique selling proposition directly in front of them. This can often be achieved by attending industry events and conferences, participating on social media platforms, interviewing as a guest in an industry trade journal or on a podcast or being a guest blogging on an industry-specific blog.

If you cannot do any of these highly targeted strategies, a powerful way to reach the mark for your targeted demographic is through search engine advertising such as Google ads. Because Google is collecting information on everyone who browses the internet using the Google search engines, advertisers can often reach the exact target market they want to connect with.

It’s a bit creepy to think about how much information is gleaned from our internet searches, purchases, and social media interaction every day. For example, every time you click on an ad about a weight loss product, through “cookies” you will be categorized as a potential customer for this type of product. And guess what? You will start to see more and more ads from the weight loss industry appearing as you browse.

Google Display Network targeting allows you to set where or when your ad is shown based on features of your ideal audience, such as their personal interests, age or gender. This means your ad can show up on sites related to your business or to users who match the specific criteria that you have specified.

In an upcoming SCORE workshop, the powerful potential of Google advertising will be covered. Learn more about this marketing tool for your niche product or service on Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. Sign up for this free workshop at www.traversecity.score.org.

Donna Probes, M.B.A., is a SCORE mentor and professional musician. Learn more about the organization at traversecity.score.org.