When it comes to small businesses, Anita Campbell, author of Visual Marketing, knows a thing or two. Recently, Michael Stelzner of Social Media Examiner interviewed Campbell for her insight on small business social media trends. Here are some of the key takeaways:
Believe it or not, some small businesses won’t get much business from social media, no matter how hard they try. For example, a small landscaping company that gets most of its business from local neighborhoods may not see an impact from Facebook or Twitter. Campbell suggests businesses like this should stick to fliers, word of mouth marketing, and customer testimonials to get their message to the target market.
Campbell’s biggest tip for growing an online community sounds familiar, but it is worth repeating: When it comes to social media communications, don’t just broadcast – engage! Campbell believes in pulling information back in from your social networks and fostering back-and-forth conversation, rather than sending out tweets and posts that simply tell your audience what you’d like them to know. Give them a chance to talk, too, and you’ll get a better return for your investment on social media.
And, what is the biggest mistake Campbell sees small businesses making online? It’s neglected websites, and they’re really a turn-off for customers. When your website is out of date, and you greet customers with 2-year-old information, you’re sending customers a bad message. If you are neglecting your website – your online storefront to the world – how much attention do you give to your customers or to other parts of your business?
Campbell is constantly watching small business trends through her sites, BizSugar and Small Business Trends, and here is what she is seeing now:
- Everyone is going mobile, including small businesses. They are embracing mobile marketing with text messaging, location-based coupons and QR codes.
- Many small businesses are getting really good at social media. They’re out there testing different campaigns and communications tactics, and they’re getting big results.
Are you one of the small businesses embracing mobile and excelling at social media? You can check out more small business marketing tips and trends from Anita Campbell on BizSugar and Small Business Trends.
Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae
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