Marketing Muse Newsletter
Helpful Marketing Advice for the Smaller Business
January 2012
2012 Small Business Marketing Trends
The new year has arrived and fresh trends are tagging along for the ride. Take a look at some key marketing trends that will undoubtedly shape how you do business in 2012.
1. Baby Boomers are listening. Consumers age 47 - 65 have 2.5 times more purchasing than the more popular, typically-targeted, younger audience. This trend will continue for the next couple of decades. Boomers spend, travel and surprisingly, make up nearly 50% of Facebook users. Make sure you have this key group in your marketing plans.
2. Cloud computing gives small businesses access to competitive technology while keeping costs down. In Cloud Computing, small businesses can shift to a virtual environment known as the Cloud, and have access to hardware and software you want, when you want it. The reduction in operating costs means more marketing dollars to communicate your offer to prospective customers.
3. It’s all about tablets in 2012. According to a survey by NPD Group, nearly three quarters of U.S. small and medium businesses — those with 1000 or fewer employees — plan to buy tablets sometime in the next 12 months. These devices, which contain key information consumers carry around all day, making the web experience more portable than ever before. As the mobile format continues to gain moment, you’ll want to adapt your communications for the smaller, portable device.
4. Apps are a key way to compete in the tablet world. Offer much more than social marketing appeal, apps give tablet and smart phone users access daily news, bank online, video chat and so much more. If you’re not in a position to develop an app, consider partnering with another business to use their app to promote your business.
5. Online and Offline marketing will continue to intersect. Most business purchase decisions are made after all internet research has been exhausted. Though purchased offline, online information and opinions influence the final decision. Small businesses must have more than just an online presence. The content provided should educate those conducting research and engage those who want to interact, even after business hours.
6. Social Media is being heavily used for marketing now. Businesses can deliver content, conduct surveys and post product offerings. Let customers discuss your product and service in real time and with fellow users. These channels allow you to segment and target and collect feedback in real-time, which can help you refine marketing tactics. If you want more information about getting your small business up to speed on these and other marketing trends, let us know. We’d love to help you with your marketing projects this year.
Content marketing adoption rates skyrocketed in 2011 and marketer usage shows no signs of slowing in 2012. Online advice on the subject runs the gamut. You can learn how to develop a content marketing strategy, view predictions for top content marketing trends and read about countless tactics - there’s even a Content Marketing Institute. The abundance of information on this nascent practice can make it difficult for small business marketers to know where to begin. These quick and easy-to implement actions will help even the most time and resource constrained marketers, get into the content marketing game right away.
1. Start a Q&A Section – Whether they’re submitted through your social networking, posted directly to your website or something that came up during a conversation, collecting customer questions and publishing your answers is a great way to generate content. You’ll keep them engaged, increase confidence and reinforce your brand.
2. Write Case Studies – Let’s face it, researching and writing a white paper can take a little time. But, you already have everything you need to write a case study. After all you’ve already done the work. Now, all you have to do is jot it down. Keep it simple. Focus on the customer problem, what you did to solve it and how the customer benefited. It’s an effective way to demonstrate you understand the pain-point and have a way to resolve it.
3. Participate in Industry Forums – Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and insights. Take a little time each week to offer your expertise by posting comments to relevant forums, and popular articles. Remember to think before you reply and make sure you’re adding value. While we all appreciate validation from our peers, simply agreeing with the writer won’t bolster your reputation.
Take a look at some of the other content marketing resources online under the Additional Resources section. For more information about content marketing tactics or how to develop practical content marketing strategy, please contact us today.
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