What is the long tail?
The long tail is the extended tail of a sales distribution beyond the bestsellers. Chris Anderson (2004, 2006) argued that online, where shelf space is nearly free, niche products together form a large market. Unlike the Pareto principle, it focuses on the tail. Brynjolfsson et al. (2003) estimated large consumer gains from online product variety.
Uses and criticism
Niche strategies, long-tail keywords and recommendation systems apply the idea; research on superstar effects shows demand can still concentrate on hits.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the long tail the opposite of Pareto?
- They focus on different parts of the same distribution.
- What are long-tail keywords?
- Specific, low-volume search terms with less competition.
References
- Anderson, C. (2004). The long tail. Wired, 12(10).
- Anderson, C. (2006). The long tail: Why the future of business is selling less of more. Hyperion.
- Brynjolfsson, E., Hu, Y. J., & Smith, M. D. (2003). Consumer surplus in the digital economy: Estimating the value of increased product variety at online booksellers. Management Science, 49(11), 1580–1596.