A recent survey by Hiscox, the online insurance company (which I’ve noticed has been advertising heavily on LinkedIn), asked small business owners and leaders about their usage of social media. They found that almost half of small businesses were not using any social media channels to promote their products and services.
Hiscox’s survey highlights:
– 47{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} of respondents indicated they did not use social media for business purposes at all
Of those small businesses that were using social media for their business:
-19{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} use Facebook
-15{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} use LinkedIn
-4{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} use Twitter
When all respondents were asked about how they felt about using social media for their business:
-12{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} described it as a must and they use it all the time
-24{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} use it when they have the time
-14{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} indicated they don’t know enough about it
The numbers show, in this survey at least, that many small businesses haven’t made the leap to building a digital presence.
But here’s the thing…
-70{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} of Americans now say they look at product reviews before making a purchase
-79{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} of consumers say they use a smartphone to help with shopping
-83{a1e4dbad5b5db674abcd08880e44cddfd507140ecbeb8646296ad08a1acb49a4} of moms say they do online research after seeing TV commercials for products that interest them
(according to Google in their recent ebook Winning at the Zero Moment of Truth by Jim Lecinski)
And according to a recent Nielsen report, the time that Americans spend on social networks and blogs now represents about one-quarter of the total time spent on the Internet. (Where was the most rapid growth? Mobile Internet users over the age of 55. Fancy that.)
If you’re reading this post, you may be a small business owner who is hunting for information on the best way to use the internet and social media to promote your products and services. You know that most of your potential customers are on their computers and smart phones chatting with others, reading reviews and seeking advice about products or services. But half of you aren’t actively building a digital presence for your business. So why the disconnect? In our own informal company surveys, we have found that it’s usually a combination of 1) not having enough time and 2) not knowing what to do.
The good news is that seeking help on social media and and other forms of internet marketing can remedy the (lack of) time and knowledge problems. Just as many of you benefit from using a bookkeeper, tax accountant, graphic designer, printer and other specialists, you can also save time and experience better results by seeking assistance (training, consulting and/or management) from a social media specialist. It’s time to start building a strong digital presence; save time by getting help.