More businesses are turning to social media
Print media such as local papers and Yellow Pages are dying a slow death.
More and more businesses are beginning to realise that to make their marketing pounds go further they have to get smarter with their marketing strategy. Blasting out an advert to an untargeted audience just doesn't cut it anymore. Successful marketers understand that their efforts have to be targeted if they are going to bring in the results they want.
One of the biggest changes seen in business marketing in recent years is the boom in email marketing. The automated follow-up of leads is saving and making companies huge amounts of revenue from sales that would have been lost to competitors using their old approach.
The following post was recently seen on emarketer.com which identifies the extent to which email marketing is expanding.
Social media to get biggest bump
Like their larger counterparts, small businesses will be doing even more marketing online in 2010, according to studies from Vistaprint and Ad-ology.
Vistaprint found that small businesses would be increasing marketing activities in social media, online and search advertising, and e-mail most in the next year, with e-mail marketing currently their top tactic.
The largest group of small businesses, 19%, also rated e-mail marketing their most important tactic, and it was also the No. 1 activity that had been used more because of the recession, followed by social media.
“Not only are online options like email marketing, local search and unique websites cost efficient, especially in a recession, but the Internet is where potential small business customers are moving,” said Trynka Shineman, chief marketing officer for Vistaprint North America, in a statement.
Only 38% of small businesses polled already had a company Website, but one-third of respondents said they would if they had more time and money to spend on it.
Vistaprint also found that small businesses were interested in tracking the results of their marketing efforts, with one-half currently doing so.
In a separate survey, Ad-ology found that 46% of US small
businesses did not have a Website. Respondents planned the most
increases in 2010 on e-mail marketing to customers and prospects,
Website development and search engine optimization.
This study identifies a huge shift in attitudes for many small businesses. They realise that now is the time to play like 'the big boys'. No longer is it acceptable to play second fiddle to large corporations. The technology smaller businesses need to compete with these business monsters is now available to all.
Imagine the power your business could have if you were able to build a mailing list easily, market to that list automatically, tailor email campaigns to customer segments simply. Automated online marketing is where the smart businesses are heading today - are you with them?
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