CHICAGO and PHOENIX,
April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/
-- G/O Digital, the leader in local, integrated marketing,
today released its latest research report, Harnessing the Power
of Facebook for Small Businesses. The report, which
surveyed over 1,000 U.S. Facebook users, confirms that social media
marketing isn't a temporary fad and failing to integrate it into
marketing plans is risky business. The full report can be
downloaded from G/O Digital's website.
According to the study, discounted offers on Facebook are the
single biggest influence trigger driving website visits and
appointments. In fact, 51 percent of respondents said
discounts/incentives on a Facebook page are most likely to motivate
them to click through to a local business' website or mobile site.
Plus, another 54 percent said discounted offers could motivate them
to call and/or book an appointment.
The growing importance of Facebook as an advertising medium is
further solidified by a recent report from eMarketer, which
predicts that Facebook's U.S. digital display ad revenues will
reach $6.82 billion in 2015. "It's
clear that a tectonic shift is taking place in the marketing and
advertising industry, whereby social media carries just as much
influence over purchase intent, if not more, than other forms of
marketing such as SEO, PPC and mobile marketing, for small and
medium-sized businesses," says Raghav
Mathur, Vice President of Strategy & Business
Development, G/O Digital.
Mathur cautions, "The road to success on Facebook is not an easy
one and requires a well thought-out plan that balances both quality
content and targeted advertising. That's why building a strategy
grounded in a customer-centric approach and long-term ROI – not a
singular campaign – is key in positioning businesses to grow,
compete and thrive, year after year."
Additional findings from the study include:
- Facebook towers over Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram in
marketing prowess. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of
respondents believe Facebook is the most important social
media platform where they expect to see a local business.
Meanwhile, only 3 percent chose Twitter, followed by LinkedIn (2
percent) and Instagram (under 1 percent).
- Interest-based and location targeting lead the way to more
business. 34 percent of respondents prefer to have a Facebook
ad targeted to them based on their interests, and another 15
percent cited location as their preferred form of targeting.
- Savings, proof of value and visual content draw Facebook
users offline. The top three types of content on a local
business' Facebook page that are most likely to motivate a consumer
to shop in-store are: promotions/coupons (60 percent),
testimonials/success stories (13 percent) and photos/videos (6
percent).
- What happens in Facebook doesn't always stay in Facebook –
it spills over to websites and offline. When asked how
interacting with a local business on Facebook affects their
perception of the company, 21 percent of respondents said they are
"more likely to regularly check out products, prices, and sales
from the business – both online and in-store." Plus, another 14
percent are more likely to seek out the business when shopping
offline.
The study, Harnessing the Power of Facebook for Small
Businesses, was fielded from February
24, 2015 to March 9, 2015 and
garnered a total of 1,066 responses from U.S. adults, ages 18-65,
who have shopped at a local business in the last 12 months and have
an active Facebook profile.
About G/O Digital
The G/O Digital vision: To Transform
Local Marketing and #WinLocal.
For Local Businesses, G/O Digital, a Gannett company, is
one-stop shop for local businesses looking to connect with
consumers through digital marketing, from search to social and
everything in between. For National Brands and Agencies, G/O
Digital delivers local digital activation at national scale with
push-button simplicity powered by G/O Digital brands: Shoplocal,
BLiNQ Media & Key Ring.
G/O Digital partners with more than 5,000 of the nation's top
brands and retailers, including P&G, Target, Walmart and
Walgreens and leads digital marketing programs with thousands of
local businesses across more than 110 local markets. For more
information, visit www.godigitalmarketing.com and
@godigitalmarketing.
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SOURCE G/O Digital