Niche vs. target audience

The subject of niche markets and target audiences has come up in several conversations recently. I’d like to share a few thoughts.

A lot of times we like to interchange target audience and niche. Most of the time these are two entirely different things. A niche is always a target audience, but a target audience isn’t always a niche.

To put this in an elementary math analogy you probably remember:

all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares.

Target Audience

The groups of people your marketing messages are aimed at within your target market. This segment is organized by demographics.

Niche

The groups of people within your target audience who receive marketing messages in a specific context. This segment is organized by behavioral habits.

It is important to distinguish the differences between the two. Creating good content requires us to be relevant and specific to the needs of the target audience and in the right context for the niche we are focused on.

Remember this as you create a marketing plan or execute an advertising campaign. Too often I see companies lump everything together based on the demographics without focusing on the best methods to reach the consumer in ways that produce the desired action.

How do you differentiate the niche and target audience in your business?