Vertical Marketing to Your AdvantageWhat is vertical marketing? Simply put vertical marketing is promotion targeted at a specific industry. The benefits of vertical marketing are immense. Vertical marketing can open new doors and touch niche markets, where there maybe little competition. Often niche markets are ignored by large companies. A creative entrepenaur and marketer may find it easier to establish brand recognition in a specific industry. In addition, customers are frequently willing to pay a little more for an industry specific product. Customers also appreciate
unique benefits they experience with more personalized customer support of smaller company.
Customers welcome opportunity to purchase from a company familiar with their industry and needs. Industry professionals also tend to listen to their peers, and a recommendation or endorsement can help spread a products popularity within a specific market or industry segment.
With a little forethought, minor changes to a basic press release can change focus, and target it to a specific industry. Trade publications are also more likely to give ink to an application, that targets magazines focus. There are numerous link opportunities, if you are able to illustrate why your application appeals to a specific industry, by targeting traditional marketing methods at specific industries and niche markets.
While some products have an obvious vertical target market, some general products can be effectively targeted at specific industries or verticals, with just a little creativity.
Software is an excellent example of a product that lends itself to vertical marketing. An example of vertical software is MSA Herp. MSA Herp is herpetology software, which catalogs eating and mating habits of snakes and lizards. Obvious markets include pet stores, zoos and state parks, which obviously satisfies a very specific audience and does not necessarily have mass appeal. By catering to specific audiences this program has become a clear leader in a very specific field. Believe it or not, this can be done with "general" applications as well. Software with broad appeal can be targeted at specific audiences or verticals. An HTML editor can easily be targeted at education market, or a general accounting program can be targeted at a specific industry like retail stores or law offices.
