• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Subscribe
  • Submit Content
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Advertise
    • Display Advertising
    • Email Marketing Campaigns
    • Newsletter Advertising
    • Sponsored Content
    • Lead Generation Services
  • Top Product Sources

WholesaleCentral.com Blog

The Industry's Trusted Source for B2B Retail and Wholesale News

  • For Buyers
    • Retail News
    • Products & Suppliers
    • Ecommerce
    • Marketing & Management
    • Trade Show News
  • For Suppliers
    • Supplier News
    • Marketing & Management
    • Importing
    • Manufacturers
    • Warehousing
    • Finance
    • Show Exhibiting
  • Wholesale 101
  • Trade Show Calendar
  • Wholesale Products
Home » Independent Retailers, Local Businesses Turning More to Social Marketing To Boost Visibility

Independent Retailers, Local Businesses Turning More to Social Marketing To Boost Visibility

February 16, 2011 by Publisher

New research from MerchantCircle, the online network of local business owners, shows that such retailers are flocking to simple, free marketing methods like social media sites. The findings were uncovered in the group’s quarterly Merchant Confidence Index survey of more than 8,500 small and local business owners across the U.S.

“Online marketing continues to be a challenge for most local businesses, and many merchants are working with very small budgets and almost no marketing resources,” Darren Waddell, vice president of marketing at MerchantCircle, said in a statement. “The marketing methods we see gaining the most traction are therefore the ones that offer merchants simplicity, low costs and immediate results.”

The data from the survey reveals that local merchants, who have very limited time and money for marketing, are gravitating toward simple, low-cost online marketing methods such as Facebook and other social media, as well as toward tried-and-true methods such as search and email marketing. The research also demonstrates that while new marketing services such as mobile marketing and group buying are generating significant buzz in the media, local merchants have yet to tap these marketing methods.

Among the findings of the survey:

  • More than half of local merchants are spending less than $2,500 a year on marketing, and 60 percent have no plans to raise their budgets this year.
  • With its huge consumer adoption, ease-of-use and low barrier to entry, Facebook continues to be a popular way for merchants to market their business, with 70 percent using the social network for marketing, up from 50 percent one year ago.
  • Three of the top marketing methods for local businesses — social, search and email — are cited as being the most effective.

The complete story from MerchantCircle begins HERE.

A full look at the complete survey results, along with charts showing marketing breakdowns, begins HERE.

Category: Marketing & Management, Retail News Tags: facebook, marketing, small business, social media

Primary Sidebar

Latest Posts

Tips to Expand Your Retail Business

Retail News

Inflation Boosting the Secondhand Market

Retail News

Momentum Continues After OFFPRICE Show

Trade Show News

Small Business Giving Back to Underserved Communities

Retail News

How to Avoid ERP System Pitfalls

Marketing & Management

Using Blockchain to Grow Your Business

Ecommerce

Sign Up for Buyer Updates

WholesaleCentral.com

Join the Buyer's Network

Get news & updates only for retailers.

Editor’s Picks

How to Build the Perfect Marketing Campaign

Editors Picks, Wholesale 101 for Buyers

The Best & Worst Times to Post on Social Media

Editors Picks, Marketing & Management

Best Made in USA Products to Sell in the Summer

Editors Picks, Featured Products, Made in USA, Product News

More Editor's Picks

Follow Us:

© Sumner Communications, Inc.
6 Research Drive, Suite 420 | Shelton, CT 06484