A recent study rom SMB DigitalScape indicates just 19.5 percent of SMB websites have a link to a Facebook page, and even fewer have links to Twitter and LinkedIn.
“SMBs worldwide are falling behind consumers in the digital commerce arena,” said The Kelsey Group’s Neal Polachek. “There’s a tremendous opportunity for SMB aggregators and resellers to bridge this gap, but it will require strategic commitment and solid execution.”
Developed by vSplash, SMB DigitalScape has analyzed more than 1 million SMB websites around the world in 14 countries, including more than 700,000 in the U.S. BIA/Kelsey and vSplash recently announced a strategic partnership for the distribution of SMB DigitalScape data in the United States.
BIA/Kelsey and vSplash previously released the following findings from SMB DigitalScape:
- Six out of 10 SMB websites in the U.S. are missing either a local or toll-free telephone number on the home page to contact the business.
- 74.7 percent of SMB websites lack an email link on their home page for consumers to contact the business.
- 65.7 percent of SMB websites lack a form-fill option to enable consumers to request information.
- 93.3 percent of SMB websites are not mobile compatible and will not render successfully on mobile devices or smartphones.
What does this all mean for those in the ad industry? It means you had better ratchet up for social media/business offerings and target the SMB space.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2018, more than 1.2 million new science, technology, engineering and math-related jobs will open up. This will have far reaching effects on the digital media industry. Professionals must keep up with the latest developments to stay relevant. So as you reevaluate your career path, here are five key predictions for how you should focus your career strategy in 2012.
1. Know Your Devices & Know the Trends
It’s all about the consumerization of tech. We’re moving “beyond the PC” as The Economist recently put it, and this will have a far-reaching impact. The enterprise (Blackberry, Windows) once drove tech usage and innovation. Now, how we use our mobile devices begins outside the office. This puts pressure on business to catch up by implementing social platforms for interpersonal communication, along with modified tablets and app stores for the workplace. So you’ve got to get digitally literate quickly. Ask yourself: What device does your family use? How are you communicating with your friends? This is especially crucial in 2012, as we’ll see digital connectivity penetrate into the deepest reaches of our personal lives, from our workout routines to our cars. As you see how these devices hit critical mass, you can think strategically and begin to predict which platforms and technologies will dominate. Picking the winner will allow you to jump ahead of your competition.
2. Go Deep Into Content
The digital age is a great democratizing opportunity: Anyone can broadcast his or her creations to the world. But this has also led to great chaos as professionals struggle to cut through the amateur din. So you will need to use the emotive link of storytelling to grab attention and build a trusted relationship. Learn to tell a powerful story — emphasizing narrative tension through a beginning, middle and end — and translate it into a digital asset through multimedia skills in video, photography, audio and animation. It’s a popular belief that every organization is a now a media organization, meaning that every employee — or potential new hire — needs to master the creation of these media, cheaply and often in-house. In 2012, it’ll be all about immersion — a way to capture the imagination of distracted individuals who need to be convinced that your ideas are worthwhile. The “Any Screen” era is upon us. Consider apps, games, 3D, and transmedia (a cohesive storyline that is segmented and distributed on a multiplicity of platforms) as you try to transport your audiences into a deeper media experience.
3. “Social Networks” Transcend Facebook and Twitter
Airlines, health organizations, museums and entertainment companies are hiring many people in the digital media space — Social Media Marketer, Digital Media Manager, Mobile Manager, Learning Technologies Specialist and Social Games Strategist are a few sample job titles. The names of these positions acknowledge that the people who hold them need expertise in creating, curating and mastering media as way to engage customers, patients and users.
Those who hold these positions possess a literacy in social media platforms and strategies. Rather than getting caught up in the arms race of the latest attention-grabbing technique on Facebook, you need to instead develop a deeper understanding of how these social networks are formed, and how they work. Technology is just the enabler. Fundamentally, social media is all about human interaction. So in 2012, even as you keep experimenting with those online platforms, you’ll develop skills in network analysis (how do you determine the true influencers in a group?), and maybe even revisit Psychology 101 (what motivates human beings?). Ultimately, successful engagement is less about the “what” people are doing on social networks, and more about why they’re there, and how they’re interacting with each other.
4. Go Deep into Data and Learn How to Ask the Right Questions
If there’s one truth about the pervasiveness of digital media in our lives, it’s that our online behavior is producing increasingly massive amounts of data. But few of us know how to glean the right insights from it. The New York Times recently lamented this “digital talent gap” and concluded that “new hires are needed for a variety of tasks, including writing code, creating digital advertisements, website development and statistical analysis.”
In that case, you’ll have to get comfortable with numbers and critical analysis. The smart use of massive date is massively important. Sure, there are tons of plug-and-play analytics tools out there, but you’ve got to get comfortable with research yourself. Learn to ask the right questions and draw informed conclusions from the data at hand. In the comical science fiction book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the supercomputer Deep Thought spent 7.5 million years pondering “The Ultimate Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything?” It responded with a nonsensical “42.” In short, you won’t get the right answer if you don’t know how to ask the right question.
5. Behave Like a Media Entrepreneur, Innovator, Connector and Creator
Digital and social media are turning the professional world upside down. Fortune 100 companies, such as Ford, have merged their advertising and public relations divisions into a single entity. Professionals need to wear multiple hats to remain relevant and employable. So as you survey the media landscape, appreciate how to manage risk like an entrepreneur as you continue to experiment with innovative technologies and platforms. Your primary objective will be to take advantage of these emerging channels smartly with influencers and users, through the creation and syndication of compelling stories. By doing so, you’ll give these individuals all the motivation they need to engage with you.
I’m always impressed with Eric Qualman‘s videos. This one doesn’t disappoint, two things jump out at me:
90% of consumers trust peer recommendations & only 14% trust advertisements
“We don’t have a choice of whether we DO social media, the question is HOW WELL WE DO IT.”
A recent study by Forrester showed the the number of people using location-based networks is too small for major marketers to bother with for now. If you’re a forward thinking business who continues to look for growth you should note the following reasons why you SHOULD use location-based networks to promote your brand/product:
People are already visiting your establishment
Why not track this information and offer benefits to your existing customers? Besides sales transactions, most establishments don’t have a way to track who enters their store. By registering your business with Foursquare you can track these early users and offer them incentives to come back. This also allows your visitors to evangelize your business to their friends. These users tend to be more influential and vocal about their favorite venues/products.
Major brands have already partnered with Foursquare
Companies have already establish partnerships with Foursquare and implemented incentives for people who use the application. Some have even added Foursquare to their advertising. Vh1 offers you a chance to win a year’s worth of concerts
Wouldn’t you rather be a brand that’s known for rewarding early adopters/trendsetters?
These are the people who will help evangelize your brand if they like what you have to offer. The typical marketing curve goes like this:
It’s more advantageous to be on the front end of this curve than behind it. To quote Sarah Hofstetter, “Size doesn’t matter. Influence Does”.
It doesn’t cost you any money
Web 2.0 offers so many tools to help companies reach millions of people without spending a dime. With a little bit of planning and effort, you can promote your brand and actually track the results. Once you’ve registered your business, you can track each day when a visitor checks in and how often. If they have a twitter linked to the account you can even communicate with them through twitter. You can also create “specials” to entice people to visit.
Invest in growth
Again, I have to credit Sarah for this subtitle. Foursquare started in March 2009. In one year they grew to over 1 million users. In five months they are now over 2 million users. Major companies like Facebook and Google are looking to expand in this area which helps to increase the vast marketing potential in this area. Since the barrier to entry is low for businesses it’s extremely easy to establish early and grow with this explosive trend.
Foursquare is the most popular brand in this space but there are several location-based networks that are competing with them. The three biggest behind Foursquare are Gowalla, My Town, & Loopt. Foursquare seems to be the most business friendly at the moment.
