The long tail is a theory that's been pretty well played and discussed in search circles over the past few years. From the keyword long tail to the linking long tail, people have analyzed it's impact on everything marketing related. That's why I thought it was interesting to see a new take on the concept.

The Viral Garden's Mack Collier shares this gem of a quote.

It's a simple concept, an obvious one even, but one that's rarely mentioned.

Collier uses it to tie the long tail into social media, pointing out that:

It's a point that shouldn't be missed. Especially by small businesses with tight budgets.

You see, the thing about the long tail is that it represents so much opportunity. So many companies are so busy chasing the "biggest" that they fail to realize the they're ignoring everyone else. The companies that swoop in to pick up all those leftovers can find themselves with quite the feast.

Even better, social media doesn't have to happen on a grand scale. Small businesses sometimes find themselves paralyzed at the idea of playing in this new marketing space because they think that only grand campaigns can make a difference. The truth is, that simply joining a social networking site or launch a blog allows a company to play in the social media marketing realm. In fact, it can be as simple as uploading a video to YouTube or joining a Flickr group.

The marketing long tail? I think it's found in social media.