Networking News - June 2009 In this issue: Adryenn Ashely makes me spill my best stuff!

By special guest author, Matthew Arndt

In the past decade or so it has become more than apparent that understanding your target market, and how to reach it, is critical. In more recent years, authors like Seth Godin have written many books about targeting the niche and working to be more specific in who you target. In my work as an expert Social Media Marketer, these same notions have continued to be very important.

Traditional Media is typically a one way conversation. One of the biggest problems with this is that companies aren't really hearing what their clients have to say. Traditional marketing from the past is also considered these days as "interruption based", meaning it's blanket type advertising to the masses, instead of targeted to the ones that are interested. This interruption based type of advertising has become less and less effective lately, because consumers are expecting a more targeted message.

Social Media is a very interesting medium in comparison to traditional mediums like print, radio, and television. It is not interruption based, because people have to actively search for your topics to find them. It is also a multi-way conversation, and a way to interact with your clients and prospects, but not a sales pitch like you would see in a commercial or advertisement. It is always better to be addressing a niche market than the general public, and Social Media Marketing makes that possible.

To understand why social media marketing and niche marketing go hand in hand, let me introduce the concept of "The Long Tail". Some of you may already understand this concept, which was originated by Chris Anderson. Basically the premise of "The Long Tail" is that the modern consumer's quest to find the exact person/product that they are looking for has been satiated by the access that has been provided by the internet, Amazon, iTunes, and all of the other providers of niche products. "The Long Tail" concept should always be applied to your social media and other marketing efforts because your clients and prospects need to have laser targeted messages. Think about it, the more focused the message is in speaking to the prospect, the more likely they are to purchase what you have to offer. This isn't a concept that works some of the time, it's a concept that works EVERY time.

So I don't think there is any question that "niche marketing" is the key. Me, I'm a social media marketing expert, so I know just the right tools to use to reach your niche effectively, whether it's blogging, article writing, social networking, video, online press releases, or some combination of those tools. But for many people, they first need help in identifying their niche, and exactly what to say to them. You probably already know this, but Karen Frank is a whiz at figuring out niches, and also how to speak to them once you identify them. Once you figure that piece out, it will make Social Media Marketing a breeze!

If you would like an overview on Social Media Marketing and some simple tips on how to apply it to your business, check out my Free Video Series.

About Matthew Arndt: Matt is the President of Turbo Social Media, a full service social media marketing agency. He has worked with hundreds of medical professionals, business coaches and consultants, entrepreneurs, and even real estate developers to leverage social media using his signature strategy and implementation programs.