American Onslaught

With a slumping economy it goes without saying, even if it has been said, less money is being spent. For businesses this means less money is being spent on advertising. This does not mean the budgets are entirely gone, companies are just being smarter with what funds they have.

A recent survey complied by WeCanDo.biz, BusinessZone.co.uk, and UK Business Forums has some insight where companies reallocated at least a portion of their advertising spending in 2008. 

So where did this money go you ask? Well that which was not saved and held onto, went to further the various networking initiatives by the companies. This networking was predominately done online. 

This should not surprise us, more and more the traditional ways of networking/marketing/advertising are being cast to the side for the much more effective method of digital grass roots campaigns. Meaning, the utilization of social media, with a peppering of new media, has proven to do more for companies (particularly those in start-up mode) than any sort of traditional media.

The reason a digital grass roots campaign works better and harder for businesses is because it allows these companies to directly reach their customers and potential customers. They do not have to relay anything through a middle man or third party, where the message can get cluttered, but rather they have a direct line.

The survey shows that the key driver behind online networking for the majority of the business community is a desire to win new customers or clients with a third saying they are achieving their objectives. In addition, 67% believe the activity has brought them closer to their target market and 52% plan on doing more of it 2009. 

But if you think there are ample ways to accomplish this business to consumer out there already, think again. The survey went on to state that sites that one might think of, like LinkedIn, may not be as helpful as once thought. Or at least helpful to businesses. 

That’s not to say though that all professional communities are relevant to small companies. LinkedIn, for example, is often cited as a useful resource but in our research respondents rank career advancement, the primary focus of LinkedIn, as the least important reason for networking online. 

However, there is a place for networks. The survey, though it may be bias, did say the less main stream type of networks with a focus on business tend to help companies, entrepreneurs, and small organizations target consumers in their market. This reittorated the mainstream tends not to be as helpful.

Still, outside of the single findings in this survey, I do say there is a lot to be gained from have a presence on main stream sites like Facebook and Twitter. I might even go as far as to say these sites are more powerful than any one of the lesser know sites, with respects to increase viral business.

Speaking from experience, the real key to a successful digital grass roots campaign is a combination of the two. Be on facebook and twitter, spreading the word in a professional manner, then spend the same amount of time on all the off-the-road sites relevant to you and your business.