Methods Small Businesses Are Using to Attract Customers
Archive [Dated Content]
April 10, 2010 -- After a rough 2009 that saw many small businesses cut expenses, staff, or go out of business altogether, there appears to be some positive light at the end of the tunnel as nearly 79% of small business have a positive to neutral outlook on the economy over the next 12 months, according to the results of Constant Contact's second annual US Small Business Attitudes & Outlook Survey.
The study finds that the number of marketing venues small businesses rank as important in attracting new customers is on the rise -- and this includes print and direct mail. Word of mouth, company websites, and event marketing lead the way in methods used to reach out to customers and prospects. Social media is also playing a larger role, with 51% of respondents saying they use Facebook and 25% report Twitter or LinkedIn use.
Q. Which (marketing) methods do you consider important in finding new customers or members? (Choose all that apply)
| Method |
2009 |
2010 |
|
Word of Mouth |
89% |
98.0% |
|
Website |
78% |
93.2% |
|
Email Marketing |
70% |
89.4% |
|
Events |
49% |
77.3% |
|
Online Advertising |
34% |
63.9% |
|
Public Relations |
22% |
62.7% |
|
Print Advertising |
37% |
52.3% |
|
Direct Mail |
29% |
47.2% |
|
Blogs |
25% |
47.0% |
|
Radio |
10% |
22.4% |
|
Yellow Pages |
15% |
N/A |
|
Telemarketing |
12% |
N/A |
|
Other |
14% |
N/A |
Nearly 7,000 small business owners responded to the survey. Three out of 10 (29.1%) of respondents are the sole proprietor of their business, and 34.5% have four or fewer employees. Less than 10% of respondents have 26 or more employees.
Source: Constant Contact, Small Businesses Cautiously Optimistic About the Future, April 12, 2010.
