As a small business owner, making the time for marketing efforts is typically at the bottom of the to-do list. And while many SMBs ramped up online marketing and social media spend in 2017, most are still apprehensive about the right strategies and tactics available to begin building communities and converting customers online. So what do you do after you spend the time (and/or $$) creating a business website and setting up social media accounts?
Start building a community.
Having an online marketing presence is only valuable if you have a community (a.k.a. traffic, followers, engagement and readers, who in-end become customers, brand-enthusiasts, referrals and marketers). So in the world of online marketing, community and content are king.
Here’s why.
Photo by Ales Krivec on Unsplash
Today you have the ability to cost-effectively market your business to almost anyone, anywhere - thanks to our handy, dandy smartphones. And those tiny computers in our pockets have made online marketing easier for small businesses in two ways - with help from social media.
Mobility
Gone are the days of big budget buys on billboards, TV commercials and magazine adverts. Because today, businesses have access to consumers 24/7. No metrics needed on passerbys, viewerships or readers, instead, high-speed internet on-the-go has given business owners the ability to market to customers whenever they take out their phone. How? Through social media marketing.
Today the average person is using social media nearly 2 hours a day. So now all those minutes commuting, waiting in line or just filling some downtime have replaced magazine reading or window gazing, with social media-ing.
And it’s not just for the “kids” anymore.
Changing Age Demographics:
While no business can deny the increased usage of social media platforms and the validity to using social media marketing to connect with certain markets. Many small business owners question if they can reach their target market online using a social media marketing strategy. And, well the answer is yes.
While 18 - 29 year olds flooded the social media market in its infancy and beyond, today it is older demographics that are adopting social media habits at an increasing rate. Over the last five years, 18 - 29 year olds hovered between 82% - 90%, when asked if they used at least one social media platform. While 30 - 49 year olds jumped from 59% in 2011 to 80% in 2016 and 50 - 64 year olds rocketed from 36% to 64% in the same time.
So as the youngsters approach a critical mass, it’s the Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are flooding the social gates of online networking now. Meaning, of course your target market can be found online using social media marketing. And yes, you need to create a social media strategy to connect with that community.
Looking to learn more about social media marketing and online branding? Continue to check into my (semi-weekly) blog to discover the latest research & trends emerging online digital marketing!