The Importance of Small Business Online Presence

We’ve been talking a lot lately about the effects of small business and local business on the local economy as well as the impact that it has on your local governments. There are many businesses in Elizabethton and Carter County that get passed up every day as people drive to Johnson City to shop because they don’t know either the business exist or what the business offers. There are different marketing campaigns you can do to fix this, but one easy solution is online social media.

A consumer analytics company recently studied the impact of grocery stores engaging customers via social media to the amount spent at the grocery store. Not surprisingly, the study found a direct link between social media engagement and sales. The surprising part is how much of a difference it made – 50 percent increase in sales over time of those who were engaged Facebook fan as opposed to those who were not!

Customers who ‘Like’ or ‘Posted’ something on the grocer’s Facebook page spent $1,000 (95 percent) more annually than those who did not. Those same engaged customers also visited the store 2.5 times more than did non-engaged customers, and purchased 35 percent more items than those were not engaged on Facebook.

I understand that grocery stores are uniquely different, but the data are overwhelming clear. Engaged customers on your social media outlets are more likely to visit more often, purchase more items, and ultimately spend more money at your store and in Elizabethton.

Because of its popularity, Facebook can easily serve as a simple website for a small business. And best of all, it’s free! A simple page lets customers know where you’re located, your hours, and what services or products you offer. Making a one post a day, whether a funny picture or an upcoming sale, is all it takes to engage your customer base.

There are also great options to advertise your business via social media as well. Running a promotion offering a customer 10 percent off for a positive Facebook post or a Twitter tweet and linking it to your

Facebook page or website is a great way to let people know who you are and get free advertising for your business.

Having a small business online presence in today’s world is becoming more and more of a requirement rather than an option. What can we do to make small business better know in Elizabethton? Let’s talk about it!