Once upon a time a big advertisement in the phone book was the new business investment that kept giving all year. Everyone used the phone book, at home, school, work and 20 years ago it was a good as being on the front page of Google.

Then 10 years ago this search tool called Google meant that you could ask any question, from any computer and get a list of results that were ranked by how relevant they were to what you had searched for. The opportunity to solve life problems with a few clicks, and get business the same way was an insanely powerful idea.

Implementing successful SEO strategies for customers even just 5 years ago required skill and strategy but most importantly it was financially viable for companies of all shapes, sizes and industries. Results were relatively immediate in comparison to today.

Then a few things changed in the SEO landscape in the last few years:

• The sheer number of companies competing for the front page increase significantly
• Google invested heavily in changing their search algorithms according to the  mechanics of how a website works, not just the content in the site
• Everyone started using their mobiles for search, not just their desktops or laptops

 

The net result is that it takes more hours, more site tweaks and a larger investment than in past. It is still a great long term marketing strategy but in place of SEO as a single marketing strategy has come the targeted marketing on in places that make the most sense for your business.

If you need final confirmation on why you should be on social media, its because its where you can cost-effectively reach your customers. We don’t advocate a scatter gun approach, we think you should get on the platform that gives you the best opportunity to reach your target market.

Facebook – over a billion users, it is a fantastic place to reach the end consumer where they are, at the times that they will be thinking about buying your products

LinkedIn – More than 250 million business professionals, this is where you connect to the people you already know, so that you can connect to the people they know. There is no better place to get an introduction to a company by networking with one of their employees.

You Tube – The power of this personal video streaming platform should not be underestimated. We all use it and we are happy to view an ad for the sake of it being free so why not consider this opportunity to pull in customers.

These platforms don’t just allow you to create your own targeted ads, they allow you to sponsor content you have put together so the sales approach can be softer where it needs to be.

As a final summary point, Google SEO and PPC (paid advertising) are still incredibly powerful marketing strategies. But investing in advertising on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and others allows you to cost-effectively apply your marketing strategy and get quick answers on what works best and then refine and repeat.