Hotel Travel

t seems that a lot of big companies today (with big marketing budgets) have managed to jump right into social marketing and successfully use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in their everyday marketing activities. However, it also seems that small businesses are lagging behind the social marketing trend, even though it is a very low cost marketing channel that almost any small business can afford (the sites are free to use; all it typically costs is time!).

So why are so many small businesses hesitant about social marketing, or seemingly scared of using social networking sites as part of their regular marketing activities?

It could be as simple as not having the time to take on a new marketing activity, or maybe a lack of familiarity with sites like Facebook and Twitter makes them seem hard to use. It’s also possible they’re concerned about negative comments showing up on social media web sites, or worried about employees using these tools appropriately for business. Whatever the reasons, social media marketing is here to stay, and small businesses are going to have to face their fears if they hope to leverage its value as a marketing tool and stay relevant with their customers today.

If you are one of the millions of small businesses afraid of jumping in to social marketing, here are five good reasons you should overcome your fears:

Your customers already expect it – More than 86% of consumers recently surveyed by marketing agency Prodo said that they believe companies should incorporate social marketing into their regular marketing activities. Add that to the fact that Facebook now has more than 300 million users, Twitter has experienced quadruple-digit growth this year alone, and more than 50% of online Americans use social networking sites on a daily basis, and you can clearly see where your customers are spending their time. Put simply: you need to be there, too. Social marketing has become mainstream – Think back a few years to when many small businesses didn’t have web sites yet. They thought “sure, it would be nice to have a web site, but it’s not really necessary for my business.” Now, of course, most small businesses have at least a basic web presence, and web sites are considered a standard part of doing business. The same is happening today with social marketing, and it won’t be long until it is considered just as standard as having a web site. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time – When implemented properly, social marketing can be a quick, easy marketing activity that can be seamlessly blended with your regular marketing activities. By integrating your social networking profiles with each other, with your web site, and with your existing marketing initiatives, you can minimize the time spent on social networking while maximizing the return on your investment. It’s no longer an option to just do nothing – if you need help developing a social networking strategy, find a professional to help you. Your message can reach a vastly larger audience – By using social marketing, you increase your reach online to potentially thousands (or millions!) of people who may not otherwise have a chance to see your message or know your company. Rather than waiting for visitors to find your web site and discover your business, social marketing allows your message to travel further through the social channels you use, as well as through viral events where people share your information with their own networks of friends and associates. Ignoring social marketing will not make it go away – Like it or not, social marketing is quickly becoming the way in which smart businesses connect and communicate with their customers and potential customers. It not only improves a small business’ web visibility, but can also improve search engine rankings (Google already includes results from social sites, blogs, videos, and other alternative media along with regular web site results), and can help create “buzz” about a small business as well.

So if you have been apprehensive about adding social networking to your marketing mix, there’s no better time to face your fears and get serious about using this technology to enhance your online presence, reach new prospects, and meet your customers’ expectations with social marketing. The longer you wait to jump in, the larger the gap grows between “outstanding” and “overlooked”.

As a business owner you want to be able to utilize your advertising spedning wisely and get the most return out of your marketing. With these marketing examples, maybe you will be able to lift your business to the next level by sparking some interest.

Rob Walker of Fast Company suggests user generated content. experts believe that the future of advertising belongs to the consumers. Experts who extol the benefits of co-creation suggest that brand owners must not only allow, but encourage consumers to participate in marketing their products. The motivating factors that cause amateurs to co-create appears to be co-promotion.

According to Brand Week, “the marketing strategy and advertising campaign for children`s television network Nickelodeon`s line of kid centered electronics, which is called Npower. The line includes digital cameras, Mp3 players, electronic alarm clocks, and compact disc players. According to research conducted by Nickelodeon young people are looking for more advanced electronics, and not just the toy version of them, which is why the marketing strategy is more sophisticated for the Npower line.”

So is coming up with new ideas and tricks the way to go? American car manufacturers think so. Nel Boudette of the Wall Street Journal reported on the “aggressive marketing tactics, including the creation of false companies which allow consumers to test drive American made vehicles from their homes, which Detroit, Michigan automobile manufacturers, including Ford Motor Corp, and General Motors Corp. are implementing in 2007 in an attempt to persuade import buyers to consider buying a n American made automobile.”

If you are online business, more interactivity with your clients and potential clients seems to be the experts way to go. Mike Shields of Media Week claims, “websites such as USAToday.com are making their sites more interactive by allowing readers to post their own comments online in order to engage their audience. Other websites that are participating in these engagement tactics include Forbes.com, TVGuide.com, and WashingtonPost.com. Many people support this marketing strategy, but some think it is too difficult to monitor the quantity of user comments that come in.” Jeri Clausing of Travel Weekly agrees with this assessment, saying, “the potential impact of the phenomenon called social media on the world of marketing.” Travel technology consultant Cindy Estis Green predicted “that travel companies will be affected by the evolution of the Internet into a huge conversational marketplace.” She adds that “social media will not only change the way Internet marketing is done, it will also change the way marketing is done.”

And believe it or not e-mail campaigns may still work. Joseph Curly, senior e-marketing coordinator at Nassau Educators Federal Credit Union, shared that his firm uses a practical, simple web site and advertises products within emails about financial information sent to clients. Make sure you only email those customers who have agreed to receive your corespondance, otherwise it will be looked at as spam, and that will creative a negative affect on your products, services and company character.

Many companies constantly change their marketing strategy to attract new customers, yet at the same time keeping the existing ones. Above are some great examples of that, that may fuel some inspiration to get your creative marketing spirit going.

By: Michael C. Podlesny