BusinessWeek looks at the increase in niche marketing that is happening in cyberspace, most prominently on websites that feature sports or athletics.   Businessweek calls sports fans "tribal by nature" and many experts believe that these social networking sites, similar to MySpace, but focused on a certain sport or team, have huge potential because consumers typically have already invested money in the industry.  Skiers buy ski equipment, Patriots fans buy jerseys and tickets, etc., etc.

Goldman & Associates is not surprised by the success of these websites and believes that there are many other niche markets waiting to be exploited in cyberspace.  We recently wrote about petside.com which is seeking to create the same kind of social network that revolves around pets.  There are tools that exist now that make it easier than ever for your employees and company to have a presence on the social networks that specifically cater to your industry, allowing you not only to join the (relevant) conversation but more importantly, to hear what others are saying about you and your company.