Internet Girl

A Case Study in Niche Social Network Marketing

by Sydney Dotson-Galbán

When we think about social media, we often think of the few heavy hitters that have become synonymous with the phrase: FaceBook/Meta, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, TikTok, etc. those outside this mainstream group are known as niche platforms, catering to smaller user bases, serving more specific purposes, and connecting like-minded individuals.

Collectively, these smaller platforms are also majorly overlooked by big brands when it comes to marketing. While they may be casting a wider net by using more popular sites to promote, large companies may be missing out severely by not utilizing the unique collection of similar consumers that often congregate on niche networking sites. Rather than casting a large net in the chaotic waters of the ocean, why not do some research and cast a smaller net in a serene lake that holds a high population of the fish you’re trying to catch?

Shama Hyder, CEO and founder of Zen media, suggests just this:

“Brands that stick to traditional platforms like Facebook can spend thousands of dollars in advertising and miss being seen by their target audience… Niche platforms present a significant opportunity for brands to create a community and sell their products to people who are genuinely interested.”

Internet Girl, or Bella McFadden has made a career out of her success on a niche platform. Image from The New York Times.

One person who has made it huge by utilizing a smaller platform to reach a specific group of consumers has made it from being a small Depop seller at home to operating a website and brand of her own alongside enormous fame on countless other sites such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Bella McFadden, known by most of her fans as Internet Girl, took her and her boyfriend’s knowledge and passion for punk and alternative fashion from the 90s and early aughts and made an empire of fans and consumers who came to Depop for exactly what they were providing.

Depop’s user base is made up of younger Millennials and Gen Z, all looking for secondhand items tailored to a specific look, feel, and style, all circling around an amalgamation of anything looking particularly “vintage” or “retro.” McFadden essentially used this small commerce app to grow a brand surrounding her look and the look she created for others, culminating in the ultimate branding for anything she touches.

Internet Girl utilized the passion for vintage fashion in both herself and her audience to make it big on the app Depop. Image is from Lazy Oaf.

In creating this brand around her name starting with the small base of dedicated fans she gained on Depop, a smaller, rather niche platform, McFadden created a platform from which she could propel her stardom on any other platform, leading to major success. Those dedicated fans who share with like-minded friends and followers can take a small following on a niche platform to worldwide success. This is the power of utilizing a niche platform to grow a brand. Instead of wading through hordes of people, the majority of whom will not care about the product being sold, McFadden went right to the source, taking her product straight to the platform with a user base that most resembled her target audience.

Thanks for reading my take on how niche platforms can be utilized today. Check back in soon to see more social media content!