Small Businesses Can Compete With Big Brands In The Online Marketplace

Nov. 4, 2008 - PRLog -- Online advertising is growing apace despite the global economic downturn, with estimates suggesting that online advertising spend in the UK will reach a massive £3.4 billion by the end of 2008 (emarketer.com) and it continues to grow at a time when spending on all other advertising channels is contracting sharply.

The transition from traditional to digital media is well underway, and Big brands are certainly waking up to the potential of online marketing… but the nature of big business means that change is usually a slow and laborious process.

Their ponderous transition from the old to the new, coupled with the comparatively low barriers to entry in the online marketplace, means that smaller businesses have a great opportunity to engage online and steal a march on their much larger competition, regardless of budget or geographical constraints.

In South West Ireland a small business networking group called SOHO Solo (www.sohosoloireland.com) is encouraging its member-base of solo entrepreneurs and home-based businesses to explore online marketing channels: introducing them to the potential of

business blogging (www.sohosolowestcork.com), microblogging services like Twitter (www.twitter.com/sohosolo), search engine marketing and of course social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook.

Calvin Jones, a West Cork based SOHO Solo member and co-author of “Understanding Digital Marketing”, is spearheading the initiative, and believes that there’s never been a better time for small businesses to engage with both consumers and with their peers online.

“Digital technology is changing the way people do things at a fundamental level – in business and life in general. When was the last time you picked up the golden pages to look up a supplier? These days you’re far more likely to use a search engine to find what you’re looking for.

“The way people look for the stuff they need has changed, and businesses of all sizes need to adapt to that change if they want to keep reaching their customers and generating sales,” he said.

Calvin maintains that small businesses are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the burgeoning opportunity of this digital migration – if they act quickly and play to their strengths. “The smaller a business is, the less encumbered it tends to be by policies, procedures and corporate culture. In a larger business adapting to change means shifting the collective consciousness… when you have a head-count of one, making the same transition is a comparative breeze.”

Ireland already has a thriving online business community, but at the moment, Calvin says, those businesses tend to be a little technology centric. These are very much the early adopters of the business community – but that’s changing as more and more businesses realise that their customers are looking for their products and services online, and that to engage with them simply having a static corporate website is no longer enough.

“Through SOHO Solo we’re encouraging small businesses to participate through the blog, introducing them to the networking benefits of Twitter, LinkedIn and other online communities, and generally encouraging them to join the online conversation,” said Calvin. “This is the future of business – and the time to engage is now!”

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About SOHO Solo: SOHO Solo is a small business networking and support group tailored specifically to the needs of Small Office Home Office (SOHO) workers and Solo Entrepreneurs in South West Ireland.