By Andrea Harwood
Trends in small business online marketing are leaning toward social media and Google Ad services. But an often forgotten tool is email marketing.
“One of the most overlooked but simplest thing any business can do is email marketing on a regular basis,” said Sara Mannix, president and CEO of Mannix Marketing digital marketing agency in Glens Falls. She has been in business since 1996.
“I think people are afraid to email too frequently. But if you’re doing a good job collecting emails and getting to know who your customers and target market are and reaching them with relevant information, it’s incredibly cost effective.”
People are aware of what social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can do for a business, she said. Often overlooked is the social media platform TikTok, a short-form video hosting service and social media platform. For the right person going after the right customer, particularly the younger demographic, the platform is a good avenue for exposure.
“If you’re good at video, TikTok is really great for visibility and branding,” she said. “It’s not efficient at conversions yet, but it’s very good for getting your name out there. Mannix Marketing is all about lead generation and conversion, but I greatly believe in branding.”
For local clients, Mannix recommends analyzing the effectiveness of their current SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and their local Google My Business profile.
“Have they done the Q&A? Have they added videos? Photos? Have they optimized it for their keywords? Posted their content and specials to their Google My Business profile? Those things can be very effective for a small budget,” said Mannix.
Mannix Marketing is an SEO-focused company, which helps people rank in Google.
“I believe SEO ranking is the most effective long-term marketing tool you can use, whether you’re a large or a small business,” said Mannix. “Getting found when people are searching for your product or service, is the number-one thing you can do to grow your business. For me, it’s all about SEO and ranking well. For small business, that’s the thing you really want to hire out to someone who knows what they’re doing.”
Doing a great job on social media and email marketing is a cost-effective way to build business leads, and is often manageable in-house. If a business owner doesn’t feel comfortable managing these themselves, such tasks can be hired out. The important thing is to stay consistently visible year-round, said Mannix.
“If you’re consistently working with an agency or your in-house marketer, to make sure you’re being aggressive all the time, it will give you a good buffer for the slower times of the year,” she said.
Influencer marketing is a current and common trend right now.
“A good influencer is someone who connects with your particular audience, and has a large, active following. We’ve seen cases where a small business who has an influencer say they love their product—all of a sudden, the product is flying out the door. Never underestimate the power of the individual. It’s not just the big media like Google or newspapers or TV stations. An individual can have a lot of power over the future of your products,” Mannix said.
New Google Ad formats are hyper-focused on particular audiences and goals. For example, Google’s new services ads show up at the top of a search for a service. These are typically for house-to-house services such as plumbing, landscaping, housecleaning, etc. Google guarantees the quality of a service or a product. These ad services are virtually self-run after setup, said Mannix.
Mannix credits her 26-person team at Mannix Marketing with keeping up-to-date on the latest and most effective ways for businesses to maximize their digital presence.
Mannix Marketing is located at 11 Broad St., third floor, in Glens Falls. They can be reached at 518-743-9424 and www.mannixmarketing.com. Initial consultations are free.