For some people, when they hear the name of any industry, they will see the big picture. The music industry for them will encompass not only the music that they listen to, but the way that the music is created, the recording, the shipping and the promotions that must go into getting music to the consumer. To them, it will also involve every type of musical genre- from rock and hip hop to Beethoven and Mozart. Anything that pertains to the making, transporting or selling of music will be what is in their head.

For other people, the musical industry can be broken down in to genres, which can then be broken down further into sub genres. The sub genres can then be even further broken down to the point where only one aspect of the industry is being focused on; the niche.

Finding a niche is like doing a mathematical equation without numbers: you keep subtracting facts and descriptions until you get down to the lowest common denominator for that market- the niche in other words. When you are doing niche marketing, you are exploiting the needs for that particular part of an industry- that small segment of the targeted audience who may have a specific and very definable need.

Keeping with the musical industry theme, we focus on this genre of the musical industry: the marching band. For each section of instrument types, there is a sub genre: the brass, the woodwinds and the percussion sections. Taking the brass section sub genre then, we can break that down into the niches: trumpet, French horn, tuba and trombone. Of those four niches, there are some similar needs that can be addressed, but each will have specific needs that have to be focused on as well. Niche marketing would address those specific needs for each of the four niches found within this sub genre.

The music that is written for a trombonist for instance, is different from that of a French horn. You could never fit a tuba into a trumpet case, and if you did, that thing is never coming back out of there, and you owe someone a tuba. There is never a trumpeter that will need a comfort strap to play his instrument. All of these separate aspects of the same basic family have different needs that must be met. Have defined your targeted audience? Have you defined your niche? Now its time to find the best ways to market your product or service to that audience.

For example, the product is music lessons. You could offer the generic “music lessons” but then would find that you are being flooded by calls for oboe or electric guitar. The problem is simple- you do not know how to play neither the oboe nor the electric guitar. By clearing defining the niche that you are marketing to, you save yourself needless expense on ads that will greet the wrong people and you save your customers time by spelling out exactly what you can offer to them.

The more defined or specialized a niche, the higher the demand and the lower the supply meaning that you will be able to garner top dollars for a need that is not being fulfilled. The wider your appeal, the more likely you are to have competition and therefore have to keep your prices low to remain comparable and fair.

Define your targeted market and you can rule that particular niche. Find the lowest common denominator that will satisfy enough need to be a valid pursuit and keep enough customers to be financially worthwhile and you will be struggling to keep up with the demand in no time.

As with most elements of Internet Marketing, the concept of social media marketing is widely misunderstood.  Enhancing the performance of your business through social networking, online and off is a distinct possibility.  However, it requires more than simply slapping a few social media website pages together and hoping for the best.  It requires forethought.  It requires education.  It requires strategy.  It requires a specified plan for implementation.  In short, if you wish for your social media marketing to be effective, then you need to realize, that even though it is very enjoyable, it is still a very serious undertaking.

Give your business a human touch with social networking!

Every online entity wants clickthroughs.  That is a given.  But a clickthrough by itself holds no real value.  What you want are clicks from customers who feel a personal attachment with your products, services and information presented.  People need human connections.  That is the very reason why social media is so hugely popular and widespread on the Internet.  In fact, it is what is shaping all online trends more than anything else in existence.

Rules for effective social media marketing:

➢    Firstly, you need to understand that this is not a game.  Major organizations including Coca-Cola,
Nike, Starbucks, Dow Jones, GM, GE and so many others dedicate an ever-increasing percentage of their marketing budgets to their social media efforts.  They do not do this haphazardly.
➢    Identify the behaviors, desires and needs of your targeted audiences.
➢    Define specific objectives and desired outcomes for your social media marketing campaigns.
➢    Develop a comprehensive strategy including which tactics and technologies you will utilize.
➢    Have a preset plan in place for measuring the success of your efforts.
➢    Remain focused and stay on track.
➢    Consistently and effectively manage your available resources.
➢    Remain accountable for the success, or failure, of your campaigns.  Learn from your mistakes.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that you can simply throw a FaceBook and Twitter site together and expect marketing miracles.  Your business is not a game; it's a business!  You need to bring your marketing efforts together with effective communication standards, customer-pleasing public relations and enjoyable socialization.  You need to realize that even though search engine placement algorithms are constantly shifting, high-quality content and the creation of solid community relationships are still the most significant factors for success.

To realize your marketing goals and maximize effectiveness, you need to approach social media marketing with a mindset based in business success.  Of course, you still need to enjoy yourself and make sure that your visitors enjoy themselves as well.  Just don't forget what your focus is.

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