Clutch Survey: Are Small Businesses Missing the Boat on Social Media Marketing? (Plot Spoiler: YES)
Fresh news from a recent survey by Clutch reveals what many people already know: too many small businesses are missing the boat when it comes to social media.
Anyone seeking info on businesses in their local communities can be both amazed — and stymied — by the dearth of outreach.
Clutch’s survey shows that “nearly half of small businesses do not actively use social media, and 25 percent claim that they are unlikely to use social media in the future.”
What about those small businesses that do use social media outreach?
“Companies that are active on social media are seemingly finding value, with roughly one-third of those planning to increase their social media resources in 2015,” notes Clutch.
Missing out on the potential of social media is a big deal, according to industry analysts.
“If small businesses want to compete, they have to be participating in social media,” asserted Mike Rosa, director of marketing at online marketing agency 180Fusion. “More and more, people are becoming a little bit wary of traditional advertising. They’re much more likely to take referrals and reviews from people that they know and trust, which can be found on social media.”
Yet another commenter on the Clutch survey — John Jantsch, the founder of Duct Tape Marketing — says small businesses that invest in social media have much to gain.
“You use some of these [social media] tools effectively and, all of a sudden, you’re not selling anymore, and you’re not convincing people whether or not they should buy from you. You become the option of choice by building a brand, and building authority, and being seen as an expert,” Jantsch asserts. “I think that’s available to anybody, regardless of where they’re starting and regardless of the size of their business.”
