The Internet is settling in and getting all comfortable in its new role as the reliable, go-to source for people looking for news and information about local businesses, especially restaurants and bars.
marketing on social media Newspapers -- in printed form on the doorstep or newsstand, or on newspaper websites -- also register as good sources for information about small businesses, as does word of mouth. These were the major findings contained within a 30-page report released this week by the folks at Pew Research Center called "Where People Get Information About Restaurants and Other Local Businesses." And if there were any doubts remaining about the impact of the Internet on businesses, this survey should quash them. More than half of the survey respondents report that they rely on online sources to obtain details about a restaurant or bar. That compares to the roughly one third of consumers who turn to the newspaper for such information. And another quarter of respondents said they listen to those around them to garner details about an eatery or a social club. Bringing up the rear is local television (either broadcasts or the station's website) at 8 percent.Pew's findings offer a wealth of information for entrepreneurs and small business owners, especially during the gift-buying season. Small business owners and merchants need to know where to advertise to generate more business, and this report points directly to the Internet, as well as newspapers and word-of-mouth.And looking ahead, business owners should be studying these figures to determine where their fiscal year 2012 advertising dollars are going to be spent.
social media marketing campaign Aligning your marketing budget with an eye on where the consumer is turning for recommendations and information on products and services just makes sense.Of those who rely on the Internet for details on restaurants, bars and local businesses, 38 percent said they turn to search engines, with another 17 percent signing on to specialty websites, says the Pew survey. Perhaps most surprising finding is that only three percent turn to social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter.
Loyal customers are your best channel to new business
A lot of marketing energy is spent on branching out to find new customers. That's fantastic and necessary. What 2011 showed us, though, is that a loyal customer is still your best customer and ultimately your least expensive path to new customers.
social media marketing degree Loyal customers are more likely to engage with you and your brand community -- and connect you to their networks on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social destinations.Your raving fans share your enthusiasm when they "like" your page, retweet your post or click the social share button on your e-newsletter. Happy customers make word-of-mouth referrals to their friends and networks and share kudos on review sites and in local online business directories. The social engagement of your happy customers is visible to their connections and to prospects visiting your social sites. Your best customers will help bring you more customers, so don’t forget to engage them as you seek new business via social media channels. Then, get involved in the conversation and politely ask customers to rate and share their opinions of your business.A CRM (customer relationship management) database is usually used to track people's purchasing behavior. But don't forget that your customers share other information about their lives that you can monitor on social media sites.Thanks largely to rapidly expanding mobile Internet access, more people will go online in 2012 than ever before. Language translation technology such as WordLens also is making it easier for people to read a website, email or advertisement in their own language.To make your online business more global, first see which countries you are already attracting visitors from and use them as a test audience.
social media marketing los angeles Then, create some products or services that meet the needs of your international audience and use the test results to expand to other countries.Take time each week in 2012 to monitor customers and record any useful information in your database. For example, if you notice customers talking about summer vacation plans on Facebook, then it might be a great time to offer a promotion involving summer vacations.
Social participation fuels your marketing
It may sounds backwards, but smaller scale is actually a big advantage in the world of social media. Unlike big companies, small businesses can directly engage with each and every commenter on social media.
social media marketing strategy template Use your small scale to your advantage.Participate in conversations with your customers. Start conversations on social destinations and jump in to fan the flames of the liveliest ones.Respond personally to customers' questions, comments, complaints and compliments. Keep people talking and give 'em something to talk about.Social isn't passive. Include a "social call to action" that inspires your followers to share your post or click through to your website or blog. Everything should end with a request for participation, whether it's asking visitors for a comment, photo or story, or inviting them to click to join the conversation elsewhere.Authenticity typically comes very naturally to small businesses, so use it to your advantage. While tools make it easy to update your social pages, don't automate too much. Customers can tell when a Twitter feed or Facebook page is on permanent autopilot. Engage your social media audience one on one. They want to know a real person is listening -- and responding.Services such as ShopKick and Foursquare let people opt in to receive promotions on their mobile phones from nearby vendors. Consumers can allow the use of location detection technology on their phones or check in to a physical location with their phones.Many people are still warming to the idea of enabling location detection on their phones. Still, testing proximity marketing in 2012 could help prepare you to reach tech-savvy shoppers in the years to come.
social media marketing resume If you have enough customers to have a business, then some are probably reviewing and chatting about you online. To get a positive review or referral, you have to earn it. That's why it's known as "social earned media."Use a social-media monitoring tools such as Trackur or Google Alerts to find out what people are saying when they mention your company or products.
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