- What are expert SMB marketers going to focus on in 2016?
With 53% of small businesses now using social media, and 65% of these same businesses saying a good mobile presence is required, you might say that small businesses have caught on. Emerging platforms and tools are…no longer just emerging I guess. Local marketing service providers need to be aware that use of this media is no longer an exception, it’s now the rule. Still, some small businesses do it better than others. These businesses will be focusing on metrics and data that help them to improve their overall marketing ROI. So, what are these expert small business marketers going to focus on in the new year? Here are 5 Keys to Small Business Marketing Success from StreetFightMag, Dec. 23.
- How do you stay in front of a zig-zagging customer?
Your local client is concerned that he/she is not sure what platform their customer is using to search them out. A nifty campaign on desktop does little to help visibility on a mobile site, and a quick mobile campaign does not provide enough for the deep dive on a tablet. Not only that, but mobile customers have this funny habit of moving around, (uh…that’s why they call it mobile.)
So, how does a small, local business make sure that they are seen by their audience? First thing they need to do is know their typical customer. Most online searches don’t begin with search engines, they start on topical sites. That means being visible on or related to these topics makes sense. And not all customers/business categories gravitate to specific devices in the same fashion. Know how your customer uses the web.
There are some over-arching habits, or practices that all marketers need to heed. One is that mobile wins the day for almost all categories. And another is that a high visibility on search engines, when the customer is there, is absolutely necessary. Paying attention to these two components of a marketing plan will serve ALL local businesses well in 2016. For more on capturing the zig-zagging customer, check out GeoMarketing.com, Dec. 22.
- How to utilize external websites (social media) to improve SEO.
You’re a local small business, and you want to move up on SERP’s (search engine result pages.) You hear your trusted local marketing services provider tell you to utilize social media to do this. You nod, and when they leave you say…huh?
Ok, what this really means is that external links to your own website help your search engine ranking. Not only does Google like credible links to your own business website, but Google will also add your own local business social media sites to the mix of search results. This means that SERP’s can include your own local business URL, plus your own pages from FB, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. That’s not a bad thing. All small businesses should verify their Yelp listing, their FB business listing, YP business listings, as well as Google+. Nobody else is going to verify those listings accurately, and for the benefit of the local business. Then start to improve your own business pages on Social Media, making them stand out on their own, as well as actively linking back to the local businesses primary web presence. All of this goes into good SEO practice, and it’s what all successful marketers do.
For more on how to use external sites to improve your business’s own SEO check out SearchEngineLand, Dec. 23.
- SEM is tested, but social is cool. Which one should I focus on?
Let’s face it, social media is cool. Everyone is talking about it, more and more small and local businesses are using it. But SEM has always been the workhorse of digital marketing. If you are a small business you probably ask yourself the question, “which one is better?” And if you provide marketing services to small businesses, you might ask yourself the same thing…hopefully with the ability to shed some light on the answer.
SEM generates leads from customers that are interested. You only pay for clicks that are generated. It’s designed to elicit conversions. Social on the other hand, can be used to generate leads as well, but these have to be cultivated. There’s a great benefit in doing so, resulting in a loyal following. Both of these channels perform a different function and focus on different levels of the purchase-decision funnel. You might want to see a little more on this subject @ Modgirlmarketing.com, Dec. 10.
- What was on the SMB holiday wish list for 2016?
With the changing local commerce universe, SMBs are not only adopting advertising but other business tools that help them compete with bigger companies. They want business services, as well as new and effective marketing components to help them succeed. BIA/Kelsey‘s annual Local Commerce Monitor provides some insight into what these businesses want in the coming year.
Good marketing service providers have solutions to fulfill these wishes. Great marketing service providers know in advance, what will work and make it possible for their clients.
Happy New Year…and have a safe holiday weekend.
The Local Strategist 