Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Trends in Small Business Marketing | Using Social Media and SEO ...

Trends in Small Business Marketing

The internet provides some of the best advertising resources, yet many small business owners are reluctant to take the plunge into online marketing. If you?re interested in getting an edge on the competition by employing social media, SEO, or another online strategy, then keep reading to learn more about who is out they are and what they are doing.

Who are the small business owners?

There are business owners in all segments of the population, however males dominate the industry at a rate of 72%. What?s especially impressive is the majority of people in small business have over 20 years experience in their field. This suggests they are knowledgeable about their trade, but it may also means they are stuck in old-fashioned advertising methods ? which opens the door for innovative newcomers.

How much are they spending?

The average small business advertising budget is anywhere from 9% to 12%. However, the amount they?re spending doesn?t carry as much weight as what they?re spending it on. For example, traditional advertising mediums (print, radio, TV, billboards, etc.) are expensive, but more and more they are proving to be less useful. Also, some businesses think they are using online marketing, but they aren?t implementing it effectively. Statistics show 75% of small businesses are using social media as an SEO tactic, yet only 27% of them have an up-to-date SEO plan; this proves that many people aren?t entirely sure how to utilize such tools.

Who?s interested?

If you?ve seen the benefits of online advertising, you may find it hard to believe a shocking 56% of small business owners have no interest in this type of marketing. In fact, only 19% are actively using such methods. This is a classic case of ?their loss is your gain.? While others waste time questioning the validity of an internet strategy, you can get a head start on building your online presence.

What about social media?

Although the majority of businesses aren?t too enthusiastic about online advertising, they do use social media to connect with people, and consider it a great way to build customer loyalty. Still over half believe it takes too much time, and 75% actually think it either doesn?t help them make a profit or costs them money? Marketing experts know that social media is one of the most cost-effective ways to create brand awareness, so why aren?t more businesses seeing results? Undoubtedly, the problem lies with poor execution. And now many search ranking factors are becoming driven by social interaction with your business and discussions about your business. No longer can social media be ignored.

Are they using SEO?

Almost all small businesses are using some type of SEO strategy and 52% plan to increase their optimization budget. Obviously, web designers are doing a good job of stressing the importance of high search engine rankings. Since SEO is so popular, it is important you are using the best, most current tactics to avoid falling behind the competition.

Although there are many aspects of online marketing that you can do on your own, some of the more specialized areas generally require the skills of an experienced SEO company. With the assistance of an expert, you can avoid common pitfalls and more efficiently take you business to the next level.

?

Source: http://www.sparklogix.com/trends-in-small-business-marketing/

facebook news boardwalk empire torrey smith torrey smith packers bears boeing 787 johnny appleseed

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.