The "long tail" is a phenomenon related to
economics
http://www.hittail.com/what/long-tail.html
The "long tail" is a phenomenon related to statistical distributions, particularly in contexts such as economics and media distribution. It refers to the pattern where a small number of popular or mainstream items or events account for a majority of the overall popularity or sales, while a large number of less popular or niche items collectively account for a significant portion of the overall market.
To understand the long tail, let's consider an example. In the music industry, the "head" of the distribution would represent the small number of hit songs by popular artists that dominate the charts and receive the most plays or downloads. These songs attract a large audience and generate significant revenue. However, there is also a "long tail" of songs by lesser-known artists that individually may not have as much popularity or sales, but collectively have a substantial audience.
The long tail becomes apparent when examining sales or popularity rankings in a graph or chart. The curve typically starts high at the "head" with a few popular items, then gradually declines as it extends into the "long tail" of less popular items.
To determine if a particular domain or industry exhibits a long tail phenomenon, you can do the following:
1. Collect data on the popularity or sales of items in that domain. For example, if you are examining book sales, you could gather data on the sales rankings of different books.
2. Plot the data on a graph, with the popularity or sales ranking on the x-axis and the number of items at that level of popularity or sales on the y-axis.
3. Examine the shape of the resulting distribution. If you observe a sharp decline after a few popular items, followed by a more gradual decline representing a larger number of less popular items, you likely have a long tail distribution.
Analyzing the long tail is important because it highlights the potential for niche markets and the value of catering to diverse consumer interests. It also has implications for business strategies and marketing decisions, as companies may find opportunities in targeting specific niches rather than solely focusing on mainstream offerings.