Social Media
Social media is one of the fastest growing phenomena in the history of marketing.
Because it is, everyone is either using it or will be using it from Branson, Trump, Virgin, Murdoch to an impressive number of Banks, Legal Firms and Commercial Institutions.
Social Media is a great, cost effective way to communicate and engage your clients and customers. However, according to a great article I read recently (written by Ryan Jon Dunn ), at least 75% of small businesses in Australia are not implementing this media into their business.
“More than three-quarters of small businesses don’t utilise social media such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, according to new research.
The survey, conducted by Bank of Queensland, showed that while 80% of business owners believe a social media presence would assist their companies many believe they don’t have time.
Around 60% of those without an online presence say time is the primary barrier.
BoQ says while most Australian small businesses haven’t jumped onto the social media trend recent natural disasters have highlighted its importance and effectiveness.
BoQ chief operating officer Ram Kangatharan says: “I would expect that social media will only increase in usage following its success as a communication tool during the recent floods in Queensland.”
“I have no doubt that time plays a part in preventing small businesses from adopting this technology.
“Small business owners and managers are often required to work long hours simply to keep their business functioning.
“The concept of taking more time to not only communicate via social media but to simply understand its potential is a barrier that is obviously too great for most Australian small business owners right now.”
Kangatharan says if some businesses don’t take part in social media shortly they risk missing a golden opportunity.
“The risk of course is that if small business owners aren’t using social media tools to interact with their customers then their big business counterparts or SME competitors who have become early adopters of the new technology may be gaining a competitive advantage,” he says.
The BoQ research follows a report last week that revealed that two thirds of Australian businesses don’t have a website.”
Is this you and your business?
If so, ask yourself what relationships, sales and opportunities you are missing by not taking advantage of Social Media? Implementing a Social Media strategy in today’s business landscape should be viewed to be as necessary as getting a business license or writing a business plan; it is imperative in order to even be taken seriously and considered part of the competition in your field – Don’t miss the boat!
Many of these institutions are interested in employing good staff through the networking media and of course other so-called experts including but not limited to networking and marketing gurus, captains of industry as they term them, effective key note speakers and commercial entrepreneurs.
Websites are the cornerstone of digital marketing for small businesses (fewer than 100 employees), the study found: 56% of surveyed small-business owners say they have a website, up 10 percentage points (PPs) (or 21.7%) from the 46% that said so a year earlier.
Meanwhile, more small businesses are embracing social media and search to drive traffic to websites, according to the survey:
- 31% of small businesses now use some form of social media, up 7 PPs (29.2%) from the 24% that did so in December 2009.
- 27% have a search engine optimization plan, up 8 PPs (42.1%) from the 19% that did so in the previous year.
Those joining the social media revolution in Australia and worldwide are aiming to take advantage of the speed at which the industry is growing.
owing mediums of this decade, which is saying a lot! The number of visitors on social media sites in Australia is surpassing the number of people that use search engines… and it’s still growing.
Social Media is one of the Fastest growing phenomena in the history of marking
Social marketing is still in its infancy, but there currently exist significant opportunities for companies to take advantage of social media to build relationships with their prospects and customers, build exposure to their brand and manage their reputation online – all of which impact sales and revenue.
