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"When small businesses contemplate a social media strategy, Facebook and Twitter get lots of attention. However, niche social networks and online communities offer additional opportunities for brands to connect with consumers in an environment that\u2019s highly targeted and often less congested. Let\u2019s look at how a different brands are using Instagram, Pinterest and Foodspotting to reach out to potential customers in novel ways. \n1. Instagram: \u201CMod\u201D Photos Take Center Stage\n\n\n\n\nInstagram is a photo-sharing app that makes it easy for anyone with an iPhone to snap a photo, apply a filter and share it with friends on Instagram and other networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Tumblr. The filters offer an added sense of creativity and \u201Ccolor correction\u201D \u2014 perfect for amateur photographers.\nModCloth, an online retailer of vintage and retro clothing from independent designers, joined Instagram this summer. After creating an account, ModCloth discovered a strong pre-existing fashion community. \n\u201CMany of our employees, including our co-founder and CCO Susan Gregg Koger, were already huge fans of the platform. So, we were very enthusiastic about joining in on the conversation and we found their mission similar to ours,\u201D says ModCloth\u2019s Alicia Barnes. \u201CWe want to make fashion accessible to all women, and Instagram makes beautiful photography possible from your iPhone.\u201D  \nModCloth shares Instagram images a few times each day \u2014 everything from marketing campaign images and photo shoot accessories to bloggers and staffers donning Modcloth\u2019s trendy clothes. \n2. Pinterest: Pin Your Way to the Top\n\n\nIn addition to assimilating into Instagram\u2019s fashionable, photo-centric community, ModCloth found similar success with Pinterest, a virtual design \u201Cpinboard.\u201D On Pinterest, people can \u201Cpin\u201D items they find on the web \u2014 everything from recipes and home d\u00E9cor to DIY crafts and style inspirations.\nModCloth joined Pinterest in the fall of 2011, but it\u2019s already one of ModCloth.com\u2019s top unpaid referral sites in terms of traffic and revenue. Why? According to Barnes, it's thanks to \u201Cproduct photography and blog content that resonates with their audience.\" ModCloth has approximately 7,000 pins tagged on Pinterest, and 99% of them are from advocates of the ModCloth brand and products, she adds.\n\nFoodspotting: Taste and Tell\n\n\n\n\nAccording to locals of Gainesville, Florida, the city boasts a wide selection of independent restaurants \u2014 hidden gems that residents new and old may need help discovering. As director of social media and marketing for apartment company Contemporary Management Concepts (CMC), Melanie Ling wanted to use her love of food to create new connections with local residents and differentiate her property selection from the competition. Then, she discovered Foodspotting, an app that draws attention to specific dishes offered at local restaurants.\nLing realized the service could help CMC connect with local businesses and residents \u2014 both key referral sources \u2014 while also providing a \u201Cvalue add\u201D to existing residents. As she explains: \u201CThe food here is really good. Why not start sharing it as content for the blog and our residents?\u201D\nIn addition to sharing more than 150 photos on Foodspotting, Ling took the food-focused concept a step further by writing restaurant-review blog posts and hosting an \u201Ceat up\u201D for local Foodspotters (another helpful way to connect with potential residents and referral sources).\nLing says incorporating Foodspotting into CMC\u2019s online presence has helped the company develop relationships with local businesses, some of which have referred new employees to CMC apartments.\nTips For Going Niche\nThinking about how your business can leverage one of these niche networks or a network like Tumblr, Turntable.fm, Tout, or Streamzoo? Members of these communities won\u2019t respond well to advertising messages; instead, take the time to understand the networks\u2019 specific culture and then determine how to assimilate and participate in a manner that supports overall goals, such as increased brand loyalty and awareness. \nAccording to Barnes, \u201CParticipation should be consistent and authentic, behavior that makes sense for site etiquette. These niche communities, as strong as they are on their own, cannot exist in a silo. For them to truly succeed, they must be part of your larger brand story and be supported by the other channels.\u201D"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2011/11/27/niche-social-marketing/>