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• More Journalism, Less Marketing

Mike,

Thanks for the mention. I really feel that this area is untapped in the sense of helping folks get over the hurdles you mentioned. There are a few folks besides yourself like Matt McGee and his Small Business SEM blog that try to talk to this market but I often feel like it's still search marketers talking to other search marketers about small business search apps. Honestly, I feel the SMB (small medium business) owners pain because I am one myself (and I wish I played one on TV!) so I realize time is hard to come by. This is a paradigm shift issue for the SMB's of the world and those that adapt will succeed. Those who don't may survive but they won't thrive. The internet has the opportunity to be the great equalizer for SMB's but it could also create a "Success Gap" between the Do Use Search and Don't Use Search camps that will be hard to ignore.

Posted by: Frank Reed on July 24, 2008

Thx Mike for the interesting post. I have also been following this local search and internet marketing riddle for a while, and have arrived at a strategy of Video SEO / online commercials for local businesses. If one makes a base assumption that above all else the biggest bang for a local marketers buck online is appearing in the organic links on Page One of Google, then producing and posting an 'online commercial' makes great sense. No website needed, very clean and simple. But yes the inertia and fear factor make this online commercial / Video SEO strategy one that has to be evangelized one customer at a time.

Posted by: Tim Tevlin on July 24, 2008

Tim,

This makes sense to me, but I am sure you are right that it is a slow process, because not only do small business owners have little experience with the Internet (on the whole) but also they don't have a high comfort level with video. But their teenage kids do.

Posted by: Mike Moran on July 24, 2008

Thanks so much for your excellent post. I am a local search marketing specialist, and I am still amazed at the confusion about the whole issue.

Many people have gotten ripped off by seo companies who scam people and they also get a bad taste in their mouth. They are then reluctant to market on the internet.

The yellow pages are outdated.. and will continue to become more archaic over time.

I am trying to build my local search directory and I hope that it will be successful. I hope that business owners will see the value of what I do.

I think that more and more people are learning about the internet. My parents are in a 55 and over community... and they all surf the net

Thanks again

Posted by: Michelle Tukachinsky on July 24, 2008

Mike,

I think you have made some really accurate observations about the things that hold back many small business owners.

I have seen firsthand how overwhelming internet marketing can be for these types of companies because as you mention the owners time is limited.

They often do not have the resources to constantly learn what is needed to stay on top. This can be especially true for a business that is doing well and becomes complacent only to find they have dropped out of the SERPs because they didn’t keep up with the latest trends.

Wish I had something to add that you didn’t already cover, but thanks for an interesting article.

Posted by: Business Tracking Software on July 25, 2008

Mike,
This is a great post and the one topic I talk to my new and current clients at length. Over the past 18 month when a new client signs up for a new or redesigned Website, we always include in their package SEO and SEM programs. Many of the redesign clients want to opt out of that part of the program because they don't understand the importance or relevance of search marketing. As such, it takes a little educating to help them understand that it's not enough just to redesign their Website, they need to engage in search marketing as well in order for their business to thrive.

We hear the same arguments as everyone else, the small business owner doesn't have time to do it so, we do it for them, at a fair price. We have offered a few tough clients the service on a trial bases (if they didn't get any response from our efforts, they didn't have to pay our fee for the SEM) to prove that it works and now they can't buy into it enough.

Don't overwhelm your clients with jargon and technology when talking to them about the process, just show them how it works. A good case study can be helpful here.

Take the fear out of the equation helping your small business client with the program and both of you will be winners.

Posted by: Dan Acker on July 26, 2008

Hi Mike, I come from 30 years of entrepreneurship and I can tell you from experience that most small business people are very good at their trade, such as auto repair or carpet cleaning, but lack critical business management skills. Many of them fail because they don't have the time or expertise to collect the money they are owed for good work they have already completed. They think that simply doing really good work will bring them success, but that is just aspect of running a profitable small business.

Another hurdle to overcome is that many of them are mavericks who can't stand working for someone else and/or think they know more than their bosses/managers do. I don't mean that in a bad way, either, because in many cases, they do know more.

Anyone trying to sell to these folks will do well to keep these traits in mind. Thanks, Mary

Posted by: Mary Bowling on July 28, 2008

In my opinion Social Media Marketing is a powerful tool for any DIY business owner. However, when you use other types of online media to supplement your growing Social Media network one can make this tool all the more powerful. One way to supplement any Social Media campaign is by using Video Ads to convey your message to viewers. There are a number of sites out there like Adwido.com that allow you to upload your video ad content for free while simultaneously working to optimize your video ads based on keywords relevant to your business. You can then use these very same links as track backs in your Social Media Campaign. A very effective method.

Posted by: Seun on August 1, 2009

Right now I am seeing more business “giving up” being online and trying to “save money” but not using the Internet. This is the wrong thing to do. A lot of small businesses don’t fully understand SEO. They think it’s dirty, that SEOs are snake oil salesmen, that it’s out of their budget, or that it’s something they don’t need to worry about because they’re not a major brand. The truth is, the Internet has changed the face of business and leveled the playing field for everyone. By investing in SEO, you allow your company to show up for those targeted local searches, while also putting yourself in the position to compete with the big dogs

Posted by: Small Business Opportunities on September 9, 2009