Digital marketing: Boon or bane?
Next year is the Year of Social Media Marketing. Or so says a summary of Infusionsoft's 2018 Small Business Marketing Trends Report. Infusionsoft is a Chandler, AZ company that provides a variety of e-marketing and sales support to smaller businesses.
In October, the company conducted an online survey of 1,000 self-identified small business owners. Among the results:
• Seventy-one percent of the survey respondents plan to use social media as they seek new customers.
• Even so, there is uncertainty that digital marketing is effective. Forty-six percent of the respondents are unsure that their marketing strategies work, according to an Infusionsoft summary; 17 percent know they don't work.
• Facebook is the preferred option for those who are going to give digital (or e-marketing) a shot. Three-quarters of the survey respondents said they planned to include Facebook in their marketing outreach.
• Not surprisingly, gaining or retaining customers is the primary goal of small business owners who plan to focus on digital marketing in 2018.
As interesting as the survey results are, there's a hint of uncertainty that colors the results. Still, digital marketing - especially web video - can work.
Smaller businesses "won't be found online without video," says Sue Kirchner, president of Brand Strong Marketing Inc., Palatine. "You have to market yourself so people (i.e., customers and prospects) know you exist."
Search "How important is video to the search process?" and you'll find interesting input from both DreamGrow.com and intechnic.com.
Both support Kirchner's contention that website marketing "must have content." Happily, video isn't that difficult to create.
"You have to narrow in on your target market," Kirchner says. Once the business owner has determined just who the market is, focusing on a message that will mean something to the marketplace and delivering the message using a medium the marketplace uses - which could be billboards or, today, more likely website video - the marketing process becomes easier.
"You need a good mic," which Kirchner notes can be purchased for as little as $15 "and some good lighting." Camera? Cellphones have cameras that provide acceptable-quality visuals.
It's the content that matters. (Disclosure: Kirchner, videographer Manny du Mont and I are preparing a website video aimed at small business owners for 2018 release.)
But you can create your own videos: In manufacturing? Show your production line. Run a bakery? Show the process. More on the management side? Interview an expert.
There are options as well. Create a 15-30 minute webinar on a topic near and dear to both your business and its customers, and invite your contacts to watch Wednesday at 10.
If the webinar clicks with your market, make it part of your video library that is available to customers or prospects whenever they want an information update.
Digital marketing can work. The primary effort you must put in involves content. But who knows your business (and its targets) better than you do? You can hire the video expertise.
• © 2017 Kendall Communications Inc. Follow Jim Kendall on LinkedIn and Twitter. Write him at Jim@kendallcom.com. Read Jim's Business Owners' Blog at www.kendallcom.com.