Beehiving is considered an emerging marketing trend. The term was 1st coined by Iconoculture and is different from and goes beyond niche marketing. As I read with interest about this growing trend it became apparent that most niche social networks qualify as beehives. The reason niche affiliate marketers would want to key in and latch onto the beehive concept is obvious. Jan Marie Dore explains:

“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.”

For more information about beehiving for marketers read: Ditch Your Niche - You Need a Beehive!