It's called Shiny-Object-Syndrome. Or SOS for short. And it's that obsession with all things new and "shiny". And in social media, there is something new and shiny almost daily. Especially when it comes to new, niche social media sites.

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of social media sites out there that you *could* be a part of.

There are sites based on professions - doctors, lawyers, scientists. There are sites for parents, pet owners, or the eternally single. There are dating sites, job hunting sites, and sites to fulfill wishes. There are sites for book readers, knitters, crafters, artists, and gardeners. There are sites for different religions, and even those who just love to drink. There's even a site devoted to David Hasselhoff - seriously.

Snapchat could be (or at least used to be) considered a niche site. The latest, Ello (which I still don't get...), could be considered a niche site. Instagram could even have been considered a niche site back in the day (like, a few years ago 😉 ).

Can you imagine? I mean, seriously. I can barely keep up with the big name ones! Let alone all the potential niche social media sites out there.

BUT... if all those sites are out there, someone (or multiple people) must be using them, right?

So, when, or should you, incorporate niche social media sites into your strategy?

The answer, though not specific, is when it benefits you as a business or brand.

I can't tell you which of all the sites are right for you. Well, unless we go through a strategy preparation or consultation and look at the parameters of your business and assess your goals. Then we can make some decisions. But here, on this blog post, I can't tell you that.

What you need to determine is this: where is your audience?

That question right there. That tells you when you should be on a niche site. And it has everything to do with your business niche, your niche audience, and the places where your customers hang out.

Being targeted, and having a niche, doesn't mean it has to be "small". It means it has to be smart.

If your target audience is parents of teenagers. There's probably a good niche social media site for you to consider. If your customers are crafters, there are at least a couple good sites where you could find new customers and reach a new audience. And, if your brand revolves around an 80s or 90s celebrity theme, then, yes, you can most likely find a niche social media site swarming with people of the same interests.

But if you don't have a niche. If your audience isn't dialed down to a targeted, specific, ideal customer, then niche social media sites, probably aren't in your best plans of a strategy. If your audience is broad, or undefined, trying to catch everyone on every site will leave you screaming into the wind. If you're trying to jump on every bandwagon that runs down the street, you're going to end up getting trampled at some point. So don't try.

This isn't a bad thing. It just means you should stay focused on the larger social media sites. Stay where the broad audiences are so that you can reach them more easily. You can focus on creating messages to reach the masses in a few places rather than trying to search out every new, trendy, niche site.

And, it wouldn't hurt to try to narrow down your target audience... but that's a whole other conversation!

On a personal note, I'm not on any niche social media sites. Like I said, it's hard enough keeping up with the big ones! But I'd love to hear from you... do you use niche sites? How do they help you and your business?