Best niches for Print on Demand targeting: Skiing
In preparation for chilly times ahead, there’s never been a better time to test and target a new Print on Demand niche. Skiing is one of the best niches for Print on Demand and the season is now among us. Read on for top tips on drilling down and fine-tuning your targeting for this group.
Some background
While skiing’s roots are thought to stretch back an incredible five millennia to ancient China, modern recreational skiing first became popular in Scandinavia in Northern Europe (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) in the mid-19th century. There are several different types of skiing but the main three are Alpine (or Downhill) Skiing, Nordic (or Cross-Country) Skiing and Extreme Skiing, which can include tricks or backcountry terrain.
Today, skiing one of the best niches for Print on Demand because it is an extremely popular sport and its participants represent a large, lucrative market. Worldwide, there are more than 125 million skiers with skiing possible in 97 countries on seven continents. Skiers are an affluent demographic who spend money on travel, hobbies, leisure activities, clothing and accessories.
Target by country and language
Europe is home to two-thirds of all the ski areas in the world. The most popular European countries for skiing are Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. For help translating your campaigns, check out Moteefe’s Facebook Ads Translation Guide.
Outside of Europe, skiing is also popular in Scotland, Canada, the USA, Argentina, Chile, Russia, China, Japan, New Zealand and even parts of Australia.
Target by age-group
Skiing is a niche with mass appeal which makes it one of the best niches for Print on Demand. It’s nearly as equally popular with women as with men, Baby Boomers (people born from 1946 to 1964) and Millennials (born between 198,1 and 1996) and all the age groups in between.
Children’s skiing is also a big market, with lots of families taking advantage of the half term and Christmas breaks to hit the slopes.
Target by month
The most popular months for skiing depend on the climate in each geographical area. In general, the skiing season in the Northern Hemisphere lasts from late October to early April. In the Southern Hemisphere, this corresponds to June through to September.
Half term (the last week of October and the second week in February) and Christmas are particularly busy times for family skiing holidays in the Northern Hemisphere.
Best niches for Print on Demand: skiing products
Skiing is a cold-weather sport so warm winter products such as hoodies and sweatshirts should be your focus. T-shirts for under ski suits and mugs make great cross-sell and upsell items.
Design inspiration
See what twists you can give to existing top-selling designs and slogans. For example, could you try putting a skiing spin on the classic, ‘The mountain is calling and I must go’? Or think about how you can make the skiing niche appeal to different professions.
For inspiration, check out this list of commonly used skiing words:
Après-ski: time spent in the bar after a day of skiing.
Slope: an area of snowy hill that is designated for skiers.
Piste: the French word for ski slope.
Off-piste: a snowy area away from the marked ski slopes.
Powder: fresh snow that hasn’t been packed down.
Black run: an advanced level ski slope for good skiers.
Blue run: a gentle slope suitable for beginner skiers.
Cable car: a large lift that transports skiers and snowboarders up the slopes.
Gondola: an aerial lift that is enclosed and generally faster than an open chairlift.
Chair lift: an aerial ski lift that you sit on and rest your skis or snowboard on a bar.
Snowplough: a beginners technique where the skis are held in a ‘V’ formation with the tips almost touching.
Lift pass: a ticket that allows you to use the ski lifts.
Carving: turns where the edges of the skis or snowboard are used.
Slalom: a downhill ski race between tightly spaced gates that must be passed through with short, quick turns.
Off-peak: the weeks at the very beginning and ending of the season, when the number of lifts open is limited and the snow cover in the lower sections of the mountain is typically patchy.
Shoulder: the weeks during which the mountain is entirely snow-covered but lift pass sales are not sufficiently lucrative to justify opening all lifts or areas of the mountain.
Peak: prime ski season when all lifts and most, if not all, runs are open. These periods are usually at the height of the season or during school or public holidays.
Related page likes
Skiing requires a lot of specialist equipment. Look out for audiences that have liked Facebook pages related to goggles, gloves, ski poles, ski jackets, salopettes and ski pants. People who have liked ski school pages also have a high likelihood of belonging to your target audience.
Best niches for Print on Demand: related niches
Snowboarding is the closest related niche to skiing, with a large crossover between groups. Other winter activities such as skating, ice hockey and curling are also associated niches, as are climbing and outdoor sports.
Happy selling!
Team Moteefe