Finding your Niche
Nancy, from Liddles Fishing Adventures wrote this week to inquire:
"... we’ve been brainstorming different ideas in the office about generating new leads and I recall at the last Tourism Keys II workshop in North Bay, you mentioned something about targeting unique groups/markets. I think one of the examples you mentioned was a group of women that travel together and quilt (or something like that). There was not enough time during our session to go over this in greater detail but I wondered if you would be so kind as to explain a little further what this was about and direct me as to where I might find more information on such groups – hopefully I can find groups that like to fish!!!"
Good Question Nancy.
We all have at least some idea of how our existing guests find us online. Many tourism businesses are good at being found in the most obvious ways: by people searching for the activity "fishing" or the location "Canada , Ontario , or perhaps even a lake name". However everyone can't sell to those searching for "Fishing in Canada" and there are many more possibilities for generating new visitors with your Web presence.
Narrowcasting can greatly enhance the growth of your tourism business... the key here is not just getting Web searchers to your site, but relevant Web searchers. Nancy wants to showcase fishing to people who might want to fish in Canada, but are searching for something else online. In the example of the travelling quilting club, this is probably not a good fit for a fishing business. But fear not... there are other groups that would likely appreciate a fishing vacation.
Brainstorming can lead you to identifying many potential niche markets. Your knowledge of what each is looking for is critical in being succesful at narrowcasting for these guests and (pardon the pun) luring them to your business.
To identify potential niche markets consider the two most overlooked things people seeking tourism experiences type into search engines to provide part of the solution:
February 14th is Valentine's Day. You can be sure some "couples" are seeking a "Romantic Getaway". Many tourism businesses might be well positioned to meet the needs of those searching for this travel experience. How well do you represent the benefits of your tourism business to appeal to this market?
Research
Your ability to successfully differentiate your offering to appeal to the needs of this niche group is directly related to how much you know about them. It may be easy to put yourself in the shoes of someone seeking a romantic experience, but what do you do, when you identify a potential niche market, and you don't know anything about them?
Go online and learn as much as you can!
"Gay Romantic Getaway" is another unique travel search based on the two overlooked things mentioned above. Celes Davar of Earth Rhythms recently forwarded this link which helps tourism businesses understand how to tap into this market: http://www.communitymarketinginc.com/index.cfm
Other places to learn about niche markets are: online news groups, newsletters, magazines, blogs, Web sites, print media, friends and family, your existing guests.
Repackage
Learn as much as you can about your intended guests and then repackage your experiences to provide benefits the niche market is looking for.
Post New Web content
Having the capacity to make changes to your Web site is an important element to making the most of Narrowcasting. Once you have created new Web content, do what you can to ensure that your customized niche package comes up in organic or paid search results.
Brainstorm, research, repackage and post new Web content and you'll be hosting unique niche market visitors in no time.
"... we’ve been brainstorming different ideas in the office about generating new leads and I recall at the last Tourism Keys II workshop in North Bay, you mentioned something about targeting unique groups/markets. I think one of the examples you mentioned was a group of women that travel together and quilt (or something like that). There was not enough time during our session to go over this in greater detail but I wondered if you would be so kind as to explain a little further what this was about and direct me as to where I might find more information on such groups – hopefully I can find groups that like to fish!!!"
Good Question Nancy.
We all have at least some idea of how our existing guests find us online. Many tourism businesses are good at being found in the most obvious ways: by people searching for the activity "fishing" or the location "Canada , Ontario , or perhaps even a lake name". However everyone can't sell to those searching for "Fishing in Canada" and there are many more possibilities for generating new visitors with your Web presence.
Narrowcasting can greatly enhance the growth of your tourism business... the key here is not just getting Web searchers to your site, but relevant Web searchers. Nancy wants to showcase fishing to people who might want to fish in Canada, but are searching for something else online. In the example of the travelling quilting club, this is probably not a good fit for a fishing business. But fear not... there are other groups that would likely appreciate a fishing vacation.
- For example, an executive team might appreciate a fly-in fishing retreat.
Brainstorming can lead you to identifying many potential niche markets. Your knowledge of what each is looking for is critical in being succesful at narrowcasting for these guests and (pardon the pun) luring them to your business.
To identify potential niche markets consider the two most overlooked things people seeking tourism experiences type into search engines to provide part of the solution:
- How people see themselves and their group/club/affiliation
- Travel Theme or reason for travel
Research
Your ability to successfully differentiate your offering to appeal to the needs of this niche group is directly related to how much you know about them. It may be easy to put yourself in the shoes of someone seeking a romantic experience, but what do you do, when you identify a potential niche market, and you don't know anything about them?
Go online and learn as much as you can!
"Gay Romantic Getaway" is another unique travel search based on the two overlooked things mentioned above. Celes Davar of Earth Rhythms recently forwarded this link which helps tourism businesses understand how to tap into this market: http://www.communitymarketingi
Other places to learn about niche markets are: online news groups, newsletters, magazines, blogs, Web sites, print media, friends and family, your existing guests.
Repackage
Learn as much as you can about your intended guests and then repackage your experiences to provide benefits the niche market is looking for.
Post New Web content
Having the capacity to make changes to your Web site is an important element to making the most of Narrowcasting. Once you have created new Web content, do what you can to ensure that your customized niche package comes up in organic or paid search results.
Brainstorm, research, repackage and post new Web content and you'll be hosting unique niche market visitors in no time.
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