As a small business owner you should be familiar with the long tail theory and its importance in e-marketing strategies and increasing online presence. If not it is likely that you are missing out on targeted traffic and possible sale conversions. The term long tail was first used by Chris Anderson to illustrate the online marketing strategies of e-commerce sites like Amazon, who simultaneously sell extremely high volumes of products such as popular books and low volumes of thousands of different niche market products such as autographed special editions.
If you look at the long tail graph it is evident that traditional large retailers make up the bulk of global online sales. However, the tail portion of the long tail graph is reserved for those niche products and services that are not in high demand but are nevertheless searched for.
The Growth of Long Tail Markets
Niche markets have always existed but have struggled with the high costs of conventional marketing strategies through TV, radio and print channels. Traditionally the marketing of small business niche products relied heavily on word of mouth and the interest of specific networks of individuals. However, with the widespread use of the Internet niche or long tail businesses have enjoyed a much larger audience.
The internet has the potential to market ultra unique products and services to a global audience at exceptionally low costs. According to Chris Anderson, long tail will continue to grow as more niche products and services are connected with the interested individuals.
Long Tail Marketing and Keyword Research Explained
As a small business offering niche products and services to a unique audience, it is imperative that online users are able to find you online. This is where long tail keyword research becomes central to your inbound marketing strategy. There are thousands of other businesses, large and small, competing for the interest of potential customers online. Therefore if one makes and sells unique bridal attire one cannot rely on generic search terms like ‘bridal gowns’ as the competition for these keywords is simply too high.
More specific long tail keywords that like ‘bespoke bridal gowns’ or ‘customized bridal gowns’ will capture a smaller, but more targeted audience. If long tail keyword research is done properly you website will have keyword rich content that caters for many low volume long tail searches, which should amount to a fair amount of inbound long tail traffic. These are the basics of long tail marketing.
The long tail concept does not only apply to long tail marketing and keyword research but also applies to social marketing strategies and content sharing. For example your business may be part of a large social network on Facebook and Twitter, but it doesn’t mean that your long tail marketing strategy can’t include smaller social networks like Digg and Reddit. Overall, unique is good as businesses no longer have to appeal to the masses to be profitable.
Penny Munroe is an avid writer in online marketing news and aims to educate small business owners on how to increase their visibility online. From the serviced office Hong Kong offer to the serviced offices Glasgow has, Penny hopes to capture a global audience of small business owners with her articles.
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