Are small businesses ready for digital marketing?

The long and short answer is...

No, not quite.

Sometimes I wish I could say the opposite... But then, Dynamic would be out a job.

In terms of adoption rate, the simple truth is that small businesses really aren’t ready for digital marketing.

Why? I can tell you countless stories from personal experience, but I'll stick to statistics for now:

According to the 2017 Small Business Marketing Report from Infusionsoft (the holy grail of marketing software), small businesses are falling to the wayside when it comes to implementing digital marketing efforts.

In their report, it was determined that:

Small business owners are taking on marketing themselves, and most say they barely have time for it... (& we all know what happens when we cut corners...
Small business owners are not taking advantage of the tools at their disposal for digital marketing and advertising initiatives…leading us to believe they are trying to juggle everything manually.
Less than 50% of surveyed business owners utilize digital marketing tactics such as online advertisements, SEO, email marketing, and content...(seriously, where would they find the time to do that?)
Social Media was found to be a top priority. But again, business owners are handling social initiatives themselves - versus hiring experts to help. (we have recurring nightmares from low-resolution photos and improper use of hashtags)
75% of small businesses report using Facebook - but less than half aren’t on any other social network... (can you say FOMO?)

These are scary metrics, folks.

Digital marketing and advertising tactics have been on the rise for years. While many established businesses still believe in traditional marketing efforts, small businesses across the globe have touted digital marketing, mainly social media, for supplying their main source of web traffic and leads. It has never been more important for small businesses to jump on the digital bandwagon.

Digital marketing is what inspired me to start Dynamic. I was 23 years old, and advising small business owners on how/when/where to spend their television advertising budgets. Digital marketing was making its debut, and I immediately saw the value the laser targetability, traceability, and efficiency…not to mention, it was a fraction of the cost of television advertising.

It began to feel unsettling to recommend that a small business spend tens of thousands on TV advertising when there were a handful of digital marketing options at their disposal.

However, 6 years later, digital marketing has continued to become the new norm - but small business owners are still not taking advantage of it like they should.

The challenge seems to be two-prong. 1) Time. Small business owners simply don’t have it. 2) Expertise. SBO’s are experts in their craft, not the crazy world of digital marketing and advertising.

But, just because small business owners might not be ready to take on digital advertising... WE are.

Dynamic exists to help small business owners without marketing leadership. We act as your dedicated marketing team, collaborating closely to provide digital marketing services that captivate the right people, at the right time. This is our craft. This is what we do, and we do it well.

For small businesses in San Diego or across the US - if you're tired of juggling the marketing, if you know you've been neglecting outreach, if you feel there is more you could be doing if you just let go...contact us. During our initial consultation, our team will happily discuss the challenges you face and your goals on the horizon, and we can determine if we're a good fit to help your business grow.

Are Small Businesses Ready for Digital Marketing?