1) Building a reliable brand. The idea that
you need tens of thousands of Twitter followers, blog subscribers, LinkedIn
connections and Facebook friends to build your business via social media is dead. Quality
connections with those who are loyal to the business and the brand are far more
helpful to spread your message than large groups of connections who disappear
after the first interaction.
2) Excelling in one area rather than being all
things to all people. Instead of trying to be all things for all
people, small businesses need to focus on their unique niches and position
themselves as the definitive source for information, products and services
related to the specific places in the markets in which they operate.
3) Creating quality on-line content as a viable
marketing tool. Social media marketing and content marketing go
hand-in-hand, and businesses need to create useful content that adds value to
the online presence. The Web is a cluttered place. Amazing content is essential
to break through the noise.
4) Moving more marketing dollars to social media.
Statistics show that large and small companies are shifting budget dollars to social media and away from print and radio advertising.
Recent statistics suggest that seven out of ten consumers go online to find
products and services. To reach them and stay competitive, small businesses need to have a dynamic presence on the
social Web.
5) Pursuing mobile marketing. There is
absolutely no doubt that mobile marketing is taking off! While
still in its infancy, it is the marketing imperative of the future. With mobile
advertising, branded mobile marketing apps, and .mobi websites, consumers will
expect businesses to have a bigger mobile presence.
6) Localized marketing is a top priority.
Local discount websites like Groupon and local review sites like Yelp
make it easy for consumers to find deals and reviews about businesses in their
neighborhoods and beyond. Creating targeted, local marketing campaigns using
these popular tools is now the norm.
7) Cross promoting for a bigger presence.
Offline, online and mobile marketing programs create an opportunity to lead
consumers from one message to another by integrating those strategies. You can
drive a significantly higher return on investment by cross-promoting online
destinations, discounts, contests and events.
8) Co-marketing to boost returns and lower marketing
costs. The economy is still struggling, which means small businesses
can benefit from economies of scale by partnering with complementary businesses
to develop co-marketing programs. Promotional
partnerships not only lead to reduced costs but also can lead to increased
exposure to new audiences.
Franklin Publicity has partnered with proven experts in the social media and mobile marketing fields and, with a strategically designed PR program, can help boost your business in 2013. If you want to find out how you can use these tools to help grow your business to new heights, please call us at 248/399-1101 or send queries to franklin@franklinpublicity.com.