11/10: Advanced Membership Site Strategies: Community Marketing Vs Niche Marketing
Niche marketing has long been touted by industry experts as the viable way to identify new products ready for market. I couldn't agree more. However, there's another way of identifying markets that usually has a built-in viral marketing element - even if your marketing design isn't viral in nature. Transaltion: if you build a new membership site using this strategy, it can build in size despite no paid advertising.
A community market is a term many won't be familar with. Before we jump into lessons on strategy, let's define the term "niche market" and "community market."
Niche Market
What is a niche market? It's simple, locate a market and narrow down a particular group within the mainstream market. That's niche marketing. "A niche market may be thought of as a narrowly defined group of potential customers," as defined by Wikipedia.
Community Market
What is a community market? A community market is also a niche market, however this market talks (communicates) with one another. They especially like to discuss and share new products and information related to their topic of interest.
Community Market Vs Niche Market
Now here's the big difference - a niche market doesn't always mean a market that shares information. To a degree they will, but not to the extent a community market will. Often you will be the one that approaches the market as individuals. One by one (normally via advertising) they will see the promotional material you place in front of them. Not so with a community market.
A community market doesn't require you to attract your markets attention one by one. Conversely it will normally be members of the community that place your product in front of other community members. For example, YouTube and FaceBook became massive successes based on members talking (sharing) with members.
Large community markets can even become a "movement" - such as those actively involved in global warming awareness. But your membership site doesn't have to target such a large market. Millionaires of smaller communities are constantly emerging. These topics develop a following. Any quality product that enters that following, is usually snapped up.
So how does this apply to creating a new membership site?
Let's say 2 membership sites are released. The first membership site focuses on a selected niche. Once the site is created, the site owner then begins to run paid ads to reach his market. And there's nothing wrong with this model. But there is another way. Now we jump to the second site...
The second site owner instead targets a community market - a market that is actively engaged in discussions about their topic. The only thing the creator of the membership site now has to do, is release the site (using some strategies) into the community. If even one of the 'devotees' becomes excited, this will spread throughout to group.... even if some group members don't like it.
A real-life example of a membership site that targets a community market
Image We've released two community centered membership sites in the past and both continue to generate recurring income even though we've never paid for a single ad. In fact, we've never run or created an ad for the membership sites.
NoniTrainer.com is a membership site that continues to get new subscribers. I've done no paid advertising and very little marketing of any kind. The strategies were put in place - and now the site continues to build on its own.
Because it's based on a community market it continues to generate paid subscribers. That's the power of focusing on community markets rather than just niche markets in general. It can be a success even if you're bad at it. The community drives the marketing efforts.
11/10: Advanced Membership Site Strategies: Community Marketing Vs Niche Marketing
Niche marketing has long been touted by industry experts as the viable way to identify new products ready for market. I couldn't agree more. However, there's another way of identifying markets that usually has a built-in viral marketing element - even if your marketing design isn't viral in nature. Transaltion: if you build a new membership site using this strategy, it can build in size despite no paid advertising.A community market is a term many won't be familar with. Before we jump into lessons on strategy, let's define the term "niche market" and "community market."
Niche Market
What is a niche market? It's simple, locate a market and narrow down a particular group within the mainstream market. That's niche marketing. "A niche market may be thought of as a narrowly defined group of potential customers," as defined by Wikipedia.
Community Market
What is a community market? A community market is also a niche market, however this market talks (communicates) with one another. They especially like to discuss and share new products and information related to their topic of interest.
Community Market Vs Niche Market
Now here's the big difference - a niche market doesn't always mean a market that shares information. To a degree they will, but not to the extent a community market will. Often you will be the one that approaches the market as individuals. One by one (normally via advertising) they will see the promotional material you place in front of them. Not so with a community market.
A community market doesn't require you to attract your markets attention one by one. Conversely it will normally be members of the community that place your product in front of other community members. For example, YouTube and FaceBook became massive successes based on members talking (sharing) with members.
Large community markets can even become a "movement" - such as those actively involved in global warming awareness. But your membership site doesn't have to target such a large market. Millionaires of smaller communities are constantly emerging. These topics develop a following. Any quality product that enters that following, is usually snapped up.
So how does this apply to creating a new membership site?
Let's say 2 membership sites are released. The first membership site focuses on a selected niche. Once the site is created, the site owner then begins to run paid ads to reach his market. And there's nothing wrong with this model. But there is another way. Now we jump to the second site...
The second site owner instead targets a community market - a market that is actively engaged in discussions about their topic. The only thing the creator of the membership site now has to do, is release the site (using some strategies) into the community. If even one of the 'devotees' becomes excited, this will spread throughout to group.... even if some group members don't like it.
A real-life example of a membership site that targets a community market
Image We've released two community centered membership sites in the past and both continue to generate recurring income even though we've never paid for a single ad. In fact, we've never run or created an ad for the membership sites.
NoniTrainer.com is a membership site that continues to get new subscribers. I've done no paid advertising and very little marketing of any kind. The strategies were put in place - and now the site continues to build on its own.
Because it's based on a community market it continues to generate paid subscribers. That's the power of focusing on community markets rather than just niche markets in general. It can be a success even if you're bad at it. The community drives the marketing efforts.
How do you find a community market?
To read the rest of this article please login:
> Member Login
Not a member? Click here to sign up
Best regards,
Ansel Gough
www.MembershipSiteAdvisor.com