| I wanted to share some of my predictions for | | | | are turning to their webcam or flip video camera |
| 2009 for small business online marketing and | | | | to get their message out to their potential clients. |
| specifically websites. I've been listening to other | | | | And as advertising is expensive, producing your |
| business owners, reading the technology blogs and | | | | own video becomes a great way to get out |
| studying the trends taking place in small business | | | | there in a big way. |
| online marketing. Below are some of the biggest | | | | 4. Twitter will become more mainstream - With |
| trends and thoughts regarding the future of small | | | | the recent twitter phishing scam and tweets being |
| business online marketing. | | | | sent from a passenger on an airplane crash, it is a |
| 1. Small business owners are already ahead big | | | | sign that Twitter is becoming just a little more |
| corporations - The biggest trend is SOCIAL | | | | mainstream. It's not there yet and is still a very |
| MEDIA and it's not going away anytime soon. In | | | | small community, but it's getting bigger; which |
| fact it's just going to get bigger. The good news | | | | means more small business using this to |
| is you are ahead of the game and big | | | | effectively promote their websites, blogs, and |
| corporations. Why? Because as a small business | | | | businesses. |
| owner you are the brand, the personality, and the | | | | 5. Facebook will continue to grow - Every one of |
| face of your social media strategy. Corporations | | | | my friends is on Facebook now! It is certainly |
| will have to find employees and others to be a | | | | now mainstream. They have integrated |
| part of social media where you can start right | | | | advertising similar to Google advertising and it |
| now. If you haven't joined Twitter or Facebook | | | | continues to grow as a great place for business |
| yet run now to get started. But remember to put | | | | networking. |
| your picture in your profile. Don't use your logo in | | | | 6. Economic downturn entices businesses into |
| place of your picture. Don't try to act like a big | | | | social media - You see a trend here right? More |
| corporation. That's the biggest thing you have | | | | and more companies are saying "what the heck |
| going for you is "you"; because people don't want | | | | might as well try social media since I don't have |
| to work with big corporations they want to work | | | | much of a marketing budget." |
| with people they have relationships with. | | | | 7. Standard search engine optimization will become |
| 2. Small business websites will be more interactive | | | | social media-savvy SEO- Even though there is a |
| - Enter forums, social networking, video, audio, | | | | lot of hype about Facebook and Twitter a lot of |
| integrated blogs, and much more. Small business | | | | consumers will not join these communities. But |
| owners are fed up with websites that just sit | | | | they will instead be spectators and will be served |
| there and don't actually bring in more clients. | | | | YouTube videos and blog posts via Google search. |
| Websites will have integrated lead generation and | | | | So combining a blog and other social media |
| ways to interact with their website visitors. | | | | strategies with search engine optimization will be |
| 3. Video marketing will become bigger and more | | | | the best website traffic strategy. So what do all |
| mainstream - With the addition of the flip camera, | | | | of these technology predictions mean to you as a |
| video is becoming more mainstream and easier to | | | | small business owner? Become a joiner of social |
| use. It's also easier to upload video to your | | | | media and show your personality rather than |
| website with sites such as Youtube and other | | | | trying to look like a big corporation. |
| video sharing sites. More small business owners | | | | |