According to a new article published in Bloomberg Businessweek, about 30 million small businesses around the world update their Facebook pages once a month or more — but only one million are paying for Facebook ads. Yet, as many rising entrepreneurs have pointed out, Facebook’s access to a vast array of consumer data can be a boon for small, local businesses looking to connect with the right audience.
Part of the problem, as Bloomberg Businessweek points out, is simply getting small businesses on board in the first place. Startup companies often lack the social media know-how required to connect with consumers in a world where search engines are now the go-to for information about offerings, hours and availability.
There are many advantages a small business can realize by partnering with a small business marketing firm. Although many companies might fight the idea, the truth is, developing a strong online presence requires much more than simply updating with a tweet every other day. Simply put, it just doesn’t work when small business try to manage social media engagement on their own. Here are three ways a social marketing firm can help close the gaps between companies, consumers, and potential revenue.
1. Search Engine Optimization
You might have heard of the sometimes hard-to-define concept of search engine optimization — also known as SEO. Basically, SEO is a marketing strategy geared toward raising a website’s rank in Google results, when keywords relating to a business’s core offerings are entered. Google, the leading search engine, processes billions of inquiries each week. When consumers use Google, about 70% rarely or never click on sponsored advertisements. Better ranking means better visibility for your brand, and more visitors to your website. Good SEO companies generate quality content with backlinks to your website, which helps make it appear more “important” to Google’s algorithm.
2. Email Marketing
Email is often the unglamorous sibling of the social media family, yet it’s intrinsically important to developing a strong online presence. Years ago, internet marketing firms predicted that email was dead. Instead, the rising popularity of smartphones meant that people started checking their email multiple times a day. From the standpoint of ROI, it’s worth noting that consumers who sign up for company emails end up spending an average of 83% more on products than those who don’t. Online ad agencies can help you develop a strong email presence — not only will your messages look professional, but they will also use appropriate headings that encourage higher click-through rates.
3. Managing Social Media Profiles
When you begin a business, it’s easy to say that you’ll spend time blogging and updating your Facebook page each week in order to generate interest and stay connected with customers. In reality, though, most business owners find that their days are too jam-packed to bother with these sort of details, which end up getting cast to the wayside. Hiring a small business marketing firm is a strategic move because they’ll be able to create high quality social media content to engage your audience quickly and efficiently. While weighing the worth of these services, keep in mind that companies blogging 21-50 times a month experience a 45% average increase in web traffic — and 91% of Americans regularly peruse social media websites.
Would you hire a small business marketing firm for your online presence? Let us know in the comments.
