I’m reading “The Long Tail” by Chris Anderson. It’s a book that explores how technology has enabled organizations to profitably cater to niche audiences. My favorite example is Blockbuster Video vs. Netflix. Blockbuster can only have a certain amount of movies on their shelves so they carry about 3,000 of the most popular movies at any given time. Netflix is not limited by shelf space and carries 90,000 movies. Customers of Netflix prefer the opportunity to rent vintage and niche movies that are not easily found elsewhere. These movies are widely unpopular but yet still do have an audience. In this case, the long tail refers to the many “unpopular” movies carried by Netflix that greatly contribute to their success.
Career Tree Network websites fall within the long tail of on-line recruitment. Thanks to the Internet, we can design and build specialized websites targeted to very small audiences. The Career Tree Network offers Wisconsin’s Health Care employers a niche tool to source a specific group of candidates. Conversely, health care professionals can enjoy a solution tailored precisely to meet their needs.
The concept of leveraging technology to profitably serve niche audiences is an important trend in today’s business climate. It is exciting to be operating at the front line with a business model that would not have been feasible a few years ago.
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