An interesting trend has emerged at the start of 2009 that will impact your marketing strategy and your choice of SEO company. Because we are in challenging economic times, many businesses are looking to save money in their marketing budgets. This search for low-cost marketing has increased the importance of social media, an affordable and effective marketing option.
Ron Callari, writing for Scoop Independent News in New Zealand, predicts that "businesses will take a more integrated approach to social marketing in 2009 to save money as the economy continues to falter. He also believes that SEO companies will help businesses repurpose their offline messages for redistribution on social media sites, like social networks, blogs, wikis and video sharing sites. This will, in turn, increase their reach and their "search authority".
Supporting Callari's statements, a recent study out of Toronto shows that 82% of Canadian business leaders plan to spend more on social media marketing in 2009 than they did in the previous year.
Further evidence of the importance of social media marketing was seen in a news story from the Wall Street Journal in January, 2009, which stated that advertisers have begun moving their dollars away from search advertising and towards mobile platforms and social networks. The article goes on to say that search engines have not faded the landscape, but a significant shift towards social media is clearly underway.
So, how does your business ride the wave of social media marketing? It is not as straightforward as you might think. There are many social media sites. An SEO company with expertise in social media marketing can determine which sites are most suited to you. The company can do research for you, and get you communicating effectively with your target audience on the platform that they are most likely to use.
Establishing a presence on a social media site involves continuous effort and expertise in creating the right kind of content. An experienced SEO company can help you navigate these waters.
Social media marketing takes a lot of planning and a lot of work to ensure you maintain the right level of activity on the sites you choose to participate in. Your SEO partner can plan an effective, long-term strategy for building the kind of presence you need on social media sites.
Integration is the key to real success in any kind of marketing. Your SEO company can also help you create the synergy, mentioned by Callari, between your offline materials and social media marketing initiatives.
With some people predicting that social media will supplant or at least equal SEO in popularity this year, your business needs to link up with an SEO company that knows social media marketing so you can keep up with competitors and reach your desired audience effectively and affordably.