There’s a emerging market trend called ‘beehiving.’ It’s the growing trend of people forming small groups that share common values, activities, and passions.

A ‘beehive’ is a group of people who congregate due to a shared passion or interest. An example of a beehive would be an online community for work-at-home moms or a local group of women in technology. A niche, on the other hand, is a group of individuals who meet certain criteria or demographics that you define for your target market, such as age, profession, affinity, or geographical location.

A beehive can be a niche, but not all niches are beehives. People in a beehive actually get together and bond in some way, either in person or online. They are so passionate about their interest that they form or join a community. That’s what makes them distinct from a traditional niche market which can be a group of unrelated people.

“Beehiving is the growth of tight-knit, alternative communities sharing common values and passions. Marketers must tap into beehive rituals, customs, and language to build trust and patronage,” according to Vickie Abrahamson, co-founder and executive vice president of Minneapolis-based Iconoculture, a trends consulting firm.

What does this mean for your marketing?

Beehives help us identify new ways to connect with people, new hot buttons that people are reacting to, and new ways to speak their language so we can connect with them. If we listen in on their communication, we can pick up the emotional component of their passion and speak directly to that in our marketing. Marketing to an existing community or a beehive is so much easier and more targeted than marketing to a niche.

Why not create your own beehive for people to interact around your product or service?

Read more by Marcia Hoeck who discusses this trend at her blog Meaningful Marketing.

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