{"id":16572,"date":"2018-02-22T09:09:37","date_gmt":"2018-02-22T15:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rocksdigital.com\/?p=16572"},"modified":"2020-11-16T17:39:29","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T23:39:29","slug":"small-business-marketing-trends-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocksdigital.com\/small-business-marketing-trends-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Must-Know Small Business Marketing Trends for 2018 [#Infographic]"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Small<\/a>
Andrii Yalanskyi\/Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How is your marketing strategy<\/a> working so far this year? Have you been staying up on marketing trends, and putting strategies in place that even allow you to measure your success? If not, you are not alone. Many, many small-to-medium-sized businesses don\u2019t know if their marketing strategies are even working.<\/p>\n

Marketing Trends Can Help You Measure What\u2019s Working \u2013\u00a0And What\u2019s Not<\/h2>\n

At Luce Media, we have always said: You can\u2019t manage what you can\u2019t measure<\/em>. So, let\u2019s look at some elements that will help you accomplish this in 2018.<\/p>\n

Today we will examine 5 top small business marketing trends revealed in the\u00a0Infusionsoft 2018 Small Business Marketing Trends Report. Use them and see how well your business can succeed by incorporating what this research has revealed.<\/p>\n

5 Marketing Trends to Improve Your Digital Efforts in 2018<\/h3>\n

1. Tracking and Measuring<\/span><\/p>\n

Successfully marketing your small business digitally remains a mystery for too many businesses today.<\/p>\n

A very large percentage of small business owners \u2013 an astonishing 46% \u2013 don\u2019t have a clue whether their marketing strategies work or not.<\/p>\n

With today\u2019s technology, you are able to track marketing expenses and returns down to the penny. However, a vast majority of companies using modern marketing tools, and even some companies being hired for their expertise in online marketing do not take advantage of the detailed information available from all of these services.<\/p>\n

For instance, how much does it cost your business to acquire a new customer? Look at all the dollars you spend in the areas of marketing: website, social media, blog writing, direct mail, trade shows, paid social, etc. Factor in what you spend each month on these elements and divide that into the number of new customers you get each month. Second, what marketing channel are those inquiries and new customers coming through on? Tracking ROI<\/a> is imperative.<\/p>\n

2. Improve Marketing Strategy<\/span><\/p>\n

Another unhappy 17% of small business owners know their marketing strategies are definitely not working.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a variety of reasons this may happen. You have no strategy. You are just throwing up posts and hoping something sticks.<\/p>\n

Companies that are successful in digital marketing spend a large portion of their marketing budgets on content marketing. Content on social, blog posts, emails, etc.<\/p>\n

You create good content \u2013 but then don\u2019t promote it. It\u2019s the proverbial tree falling in the forest. It\u2019s critical to use the various digital platforms available to you to promote your great content.<\/p>\n

3. Create a Plan<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps your content is irrelevant or uninteresting, or you have not narrowed the niche audience you are targeting.<\/p>\n

Incredibly, only 37% of small business owners say they have effective marketing strategies and efforts. These are the business owners who are tracking what they do with the leads and sales they generate. They have a process that works and they regularly use it.<\/p>\n

4. Social Media Marketing is Hot<\/span><\/p>\n

A recent study shows that 2018 is the year of social media marketing. Of all small business owners investing in digital marketing, a whopping 71% intend to acquire new customers using social media marketing. Of all small business marketing trends, this needs to be viewed seriously. So how does that break down?<\/p>\n

Facebook is overwhelmingly the social media platform of choice for small businesses. An incredible 75% definitely will use Facebook in their marketing strategies. How will YOUR business benefit by joining the masses in this 2018 trend?<\/p>\n

Mari Smith<\/a>, the Facebook guru and author of many successful social media \u201chow to\u201d books says it is all about mobile, mobile, mobile. To take advantage of what Facebook is rolling out in the next 12\u201318 months, make sure everything you produce and deliver is mobile-friendly.<\/p>\n

5. Work the Plan<\/span><\/p>\n

Where are small business owners most likely to spend their 2018 marketing dollars? The vast majority say in social media.<\/p>\n

Stats for 2018 include \u2013<\/p>\n