We’ve taken the time to look at some of the most useful niche social networks of 2013 so far. Read on to find out if they could be applicable to your market…
While having a strong presence on the major social media networks is good practice, this may not be enough. Using niche social markets can effectively reach members of your target market that have slipped through your net.
This is especially important for a company that is not yet well acquainted with social media marketing. With social media, target marketing is less about demographics and geographics and much more about tastes and interests. Do you know which social media networks your target market uses?
To get an idea of where to begin looking, try checking out Ebizmba’stop 15 social media networks in 2013, or Digital Marketing Rambling’s social media list.
Here are three different niche social media networks to get you started.
Map my Ride – [www.mapmyride.com](https://www.mapmyride.com)
Industry – Fitness, sports, and cycling
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Map my Ride is a community of cyclists and joggers around the world that upload their routes to the website. Others can search up different routes for themselves or enter groups of other cyclists.
One way for businesses to use this is to start up a community group. If your business is related to cycling or fitness, this can be used to promote upcoming events and create customized run routes.
Foodie – [https://www.foodie.com/](https://www.foodie.com/)
Industry – Restaurants, but more niche and gourmet styles
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For the food lovers, Foodie is combination of Pinterest, Yelp, and a recipe book. Users post photos of food, along with a short review and a recipe for others to see. A large number of restaurants are also available on Foodie, with restaurant information, reviews, and directions.
Businesses in the food industry can use Foodie to promote their own products. This can present your best dishes to an audience that is receptive to good food.
Another way to look at this is to target influential members of the community. Many posters are writers of their own food blogs and use Foodie as a way to promote their own work and look for inspiration for new articles. For example, asking these food bloggers to write a piece on your signature dish in exchange for a free meal can increase the spread of your business.
Weread – [www.weread.com](https://www.weread.com)
Industry – Authors, bookstores
Weread is a massive community surrounding books and literature. Users review books they enjoy and find new friends based on common interests. There are many other features, such as book reviews and recommendations.
As an author, you can find out who reads your books and what they think about it. If they have questions or are interested in the plot, you can communicate directly with them and build a stronger relationship with them.
For booksellers, indie authors, or publishers, the primary purpose of this network should be more focused on connecting with your fans as opposed to promoting a new product.
At Wishpond, we want you to be the best marketer you can be. That’s why we’ve created a whole range of social promotion apps – making your successes a little easier.
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