Social media spending outlook for 2009
A study by Ad-ology Research suggests that small businesses in the US are becoming increasingly aware of the power of social media, with many of them saying that they plan to use social network marketing more this year than before. It’s a trend probably brought on by the economy, as this type of strategy ranges from inexpensive to free, depending on how savvy you are with these networking sites. With other studies showing that more adults are joining these networks, shedding the image that these are just teen playgrounds, businesses are recognizing that potential paying customers can be reached in this type of media.
Being a fairly reliable performer, more small businesses are planning to add to email spending and company website marketing than those who plan to cut costs in these channels. Meanwhile, podcasting and mobile advertising have 6% of respondents saying they’ll spend less on these formats, compared to only 2% who said they’ll spend more.
The percentage of small businesses who said they did not use various online marketing tactics was high. Well over one-third of respondents said they did not market using social networks, their own Website or even e-mail. Less than one-quarter used more tech-reliant tactics such as online video and mobile marketing.
Looking at the last column of the table, it’s apparent that many businesses are still not in the habit of utilizing online marketing techniques, and that adoption rates are quite varied. Perhaps unfamiliarity is a problem, as well as the need to stick to tried and tested formulas in a time when resources are becoming few and precious.
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