Some businesses are strictly “conventional” in terms of their scope, and the ways in which they perform in the world. There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about a business that sells microwaves, or shoes, for example – unless of course the business owners in question have taken the wise step of exploring a more niche angle than is conventionally seen.
Other businesses, however, are inherently unusual and “niche” – things such as specialist holiday experiences that few people have ever heard of, much less experienced, or aviation-based adventure outings – such as those which allow you to co-pilot a plane for a modest fee, the kind of thing that most people will never get to experience otherwise.
These sorts of unusual “niche” businesses have an amazing degree of potential in terms of their marketability, but it’s not always easy to know where to begin.
Here are some tips for effectively marketing your niche business.
Play off the inherent excitement and “cool factor” of your business
When you have an unconventional business, particularly one that includes elements that many people would consider “cool”, “exciting”, or otherwise thrilling, one of your best marketing gambits is going to be to play off this inherent “cool factor” to the greatest possible degree that you can without overplaying your hand.
If you run a business offering private charter planes for rent, or “authentic pilot experiences”, for example, you’re ideally positioned to take advantage of this “cool factor” in your aviation marketing.
Plaster your marketing materials with images of your planes in action, include videos with up-tempo music on your site, or as YouTube ads, and ensure that everyone who comes across your marketing materials gets a sense of the “thrill” you can offer.
Appeal to a need on the client’s behalf, don’t just sell your services “as is”
While your services may have that innate “cool factor”, you can’t merely rely on offering your services as is, and hoping that everyone will be swept away.
Ideally, a good number of people will indeed be swept away, but you also need to account for the fact that would-be customers are generally after “solutions” and “benefits”, not just “features”. This is a well-worn marketing maxim.
Instead of simply saying “with us, you can co-pilot a plane for an afternoon”, get to the emotional heart of the mater. “With us, you can live your childhood dreams of being a pilot, and soar among the clouds.”
Play off the novelty of your service as a way of grabbing people’s attention
The novelty of your services can, in and of itself, be a great marketing asset, as it allows you to bypass much of the standard and inevitable work of grabbing a prospective customer’s attention.
If your product or service is sufficiently niche and unique, merely that fact alone should make it jump off the page, or computer screen, and get people’s attention.
People are, by and large, well-conditioned by advertising and know what to expect. They will scan advertisements quickly looking for anything eye-catching.
By playing up the novelty of your service, you can get their attention in a hurry. Get straight to the point. “Want to fly a plane this afternoon?” could be a good opener.
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