Report Points to High Impact/Low Cost Internet Marketing Opportunity

Small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) are embracing social networking in growing numbers. A recent survey by Internet2Go outlines just how prevalent social media based internet marketing is ultimately going to be for small businesses.

While it is indicative of where saavy business owners are focusing and where the overall market is heading, the study is most likely not a current representation of the broader population of small businesses. The 2000+ businesses surveyed are out ahead of their competitors and selected from a pool the most active content contributors to a business- to-consumer social network site. Internet2Go says:

45 percent of respondents have a presence or profiles on Facebook and Twitter to promote their businesses…… [yet SMBs'] marketing efforts have lagged consumer adoption of digital platforms, because of inertia, confusion and a lack of resources.

Here are a few highlights outlined in another report on this research that underscores the attractive budget characteristics of social media marketing compared to other forms of internet marketing. Most importantly, it points to the importance of a fully developed social media system in order to realize the benefits of the kind of engagement and marketing outcomes social media tools enable;

79% of respondents report annual marketing budgets of less than $5,000 per year with the 44% spending “less than $1,000” annually on advertising and marketing

Asked about their “biggest complaint” regarding online marketing the top two were “too costly” (26%) and “there’s not enough time to do it well and still run a business” (15.9%)

Despite its popularity social media showed the biggest gap between SMB adoption and perceived effectiveness as a marketing platform.

DesignSherpa has begun helping local home design businesses, through an affordable turnkey social media based internet marketing system, realize the benefits and outcomes of a well executed social media program. For more information on the trends and power of social media for local design businesess contact Adam Japko at ajapko@nci.com or your local NCI Home Design Magazine representative.