Which Fall 2012 Bandwagon Should Your Business Jump On?

Ladies and Gentlemen, SoLoMo!

No, this isn’t an exotic way of saying “Hello” or “Welcome” in an ancient romantic language, though it is a term that both you and your small business should be familiar with for this upcoming fall!

SoLoMo (SOcial, LOcal, MObile) is what Google engineer, Matt Cutts, encouraged search marketers to focus on beginning in the fall of 2012 and through the next year. This term represents the aggregation of social media, local merchants and mobile device usage. The idea of SoLoMo came together as a result of the iPhone and Droid epidemic. (Quick! Hide your children!) The GPS technology that is used by these mobile devices provides more accurate location results than the old-fashioned “IP mapping” approach used by non-mobile devices. (Desktops? Pft, that was so 2000). What it all comes down to is that there is a large and virtually untapped market in local searching — there are a lot more “mom and pop” businesses out there than larger firms. When search engines such as Google started including more local results in search queries, this proved the massive size of the local market on the Internet.

So what does this mean for your small business? It means that you need to be thinking about how your web site is affected by mobile searches and how you can make your site mobile-friendly. It means that you should use your social media sites to be social, not as just another venue to sell you products and/or services. And it means that you should take into account that your local area is going to be where the majority of your business’ purchases take place, so you’ll need a strategy for each one of them!

Now that you understand SoLoMo (which, when said in slow motion, actually sounds like “slow motion”), what other steps can you take to make sure your small business isn’t left behind? USA Today’s Money column gives us some insight on what business trends will be sure to shape your bottom line in the fall of 2012 and beyond.

Internet Video

According to Cisco, online video will make up 55% of all consumer Internet traffic in 2016. That’s up from 51% in 2011, when nearly almost 200 million Americans watched online videos every month. On any given day, 100 million people will watch online videos. People LOVE videos because, let’s face it, ever since we were kids we were conditioned to like pictures better than words. And studies show that video can increase sales. How can you integrate video into your business? Perhaps with an online video brochure (here’s an example of one of ours!), a virtual tour of your business, video newsletters or instructional videos.

Social Media

According to the 2011 Impact of Social Business in Small and Medium Business Study, about 50% of small businesses use social media weekly. Don’t know where to start? Right now, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are hot, and as you can see, 123Print has jumped right into these social media pools. The world of social media is always changing — and it is important to make sure a social media outlet is right for your company. For example, if you have a company that sells car parts, Pinterest might not be the best option!

The Death of 9 to 5

We live in a world where we can work anytime, anywhere. This is both a blessing and a curse. People everywhere are always connected — whether it be on their laptop, tablet or smartphone — and are browsing the Internet at all hours of the day. Keep tabs on what times of day your customers seem most engaged, and don’t limit yourself to 9-5.

Happy Days are here Again!

There are signs that the economic slump we have been in since 2008 may be lifting, as consumer confidence continues to rise and unemployment claims continue to fall. If this trend continues, it will surely shape your business significantly in 2012!

And finally, the Top Trend for Fall 2012 is … (drum roll, please)

Mobile Mania!

If you haven’t jumped on the Mobile bandwagon yet, HOP ON BOARD! Currently, more than 20% of all Internet searches are being done on mobile devices. In order to allow your customers to interact with your business on their mobile device, you need to make sure that you website is mobile friendly. Integrating mobile ad campaigns would also be a great addition to your marketing plan. If you are a local business, look into geo-targeting, because mobile marketing can increase foot traffic and sales.

What do you believe some of the Top Small Business Trends for fall 2012 will be? Let us know by leaving a comment below!