Let’s break it down for small business trying to market in this day & age, and keep it real simple:
- Traditional marketing is dead or dying (Yellow pages, Radio, Print, Direct)
- Consumers have moved online en mass
- Mobile is enabling Online access at the Point of Sale – when out and about
One and two may seem obvious, but the magnitude of the shift is often under-appreciated. At this point, the Internet has been in the mainstream for over a decade (thanks Mr. Gore). We’re well past the “tipping point” of adoption and usage, and successive generations know nothing of a “yellow page.”
Why is my cafe empty?
One and two are also related. Without a compelling and more attractive offer online, the consumers may not have abandoned media like the yellow pages. But Online serves them better – from reviews and the option for feedback, to integrated maps and rich search options, to social validation and fun.
In the Online & Social space consumers search listings, research businesses and their reviews, and later provide their own feedback & share experiences. A business that is not properly placed in this world simply does not exist, or is leaving serious money on the table.
Now consider the REAL opportunity: Online is available Anytime!
The rich consumer tools on the Internet are now available when and how they needed the most, when consumers are out shopping, running errands, and away from their desks. New options for “virtual menu board” and “projected point of sale” marketing are available with location enabled phones and technology.
Services are available today to put a virtual “carnival barker” outside your business to broadcast your marketing message, point of sale, for miles around!
One and two are cultural as much as technological shifts. The genie is out of the bottle, and there is no going back. Businesses need to play the Online & Social marketing games just to stay even with the competition and to survive. Mobile, however is still on the leading edge, and gives a business a chance to jump ahead of their competition.
SocialeXpand has a passion for small business marketing. For a valuable conversation about your marketing efforts, request an evaluation of what is available online, as seen by a potential consumer.
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Combine your YouTube & Facebook efforts for more Fans!
Now the two biggest names in Social and online marketing can be leveraged to feed each other. Your Facebook Fan page draws videos automatically from your YouTube channel, and Facebook fan comments and views are sent back to YouTube to increase your rankings.
