G/O Digital Study Reveals Facebook Is Major Influence Trigger Driving Online & Offline Actions For Local Businesses

CHICAGO and PHOENIX, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- G/O Digital, the leader in local, integrated marketing, today released its latest research report, Harnessing the Power of Facebook for Small Businesses. The report, which surveyed over 1,000 U.S. Facebook users, confirms that social media marketing isn't a temporary fad and failing to integrate it into marketing plans is risky business. The full report can be downloaded from G/O Digital's website.

According to the study, discounted offers on Facebook are the single biggest influence trigger driving website visits and appointments. In fact, 51 percent of respondents said discounts/incentives on a Facebook page are most likely to motivate them to click through to a local business' website or mobile site. Plus, another 54 percent said discounted offers could motivate them to call and/or book an appointment.

The growing importance of Facebook as an advertising medium is further solidified by a recent report from eMarketer, which predicts that Facebook's U.S. digital display ad revenues will reach $6.82 billion in 2015. "It's clear that a tectonic shift is taking place in the marketing and advertising industry, whereby social media carries just as much influence over purchase intent, if not more, than other forms of marketing such as SEO, PPC and mobile marketing, for small and medium-sized businesses," says Raghav Mathur, Vice President of Strategy & Business Development, G/O Digital.

Mathur cautions, "The road to success on Facebook is not an easy one and requires a well thought-out plan that balances both quality content and targeted advertising. That's why building a strategy grounded in a customer-centric approach and long-term ROI – not a singular campaign – is key in positioning businesses to grow, compete and thrive, year after year."

Additional findings from the study include:

• Facebook towers over Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram in marketing prowess. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of respondents believe Facebook is the most important social media platform where they expect to see a local business. Meanwhile, only 3 percent chose Twitter, followed by LinkedIn (2 percent) and Instagram (under 1 percent).
• Interest-based and location targeting lead the way to more business. 34 percent of respondents prefer to have a Facebook ad targeted to them based on their interests, and another 15 percent cited location as their preferred form of targeting.
• Savings, proof of value and visual content draw Facebook users offline. The top three types of content on a local business' Facebook page that are most likely to motivate a consumer to shop in-store are: promotions/coupons (60 percent), testimonials/success stories (13 percent) and photos/videos (6 percent).
• What happens in Facebook doesn't always stay in Facebook – it spills over to websites and offline. When asked how interacting with a local business on Facebook affects their perception of the company, 21 percent of respondents said they are "more likely to regularly check out products, prices, and sales from the business – both online and in-store." Plus, another 14 percent are more likely to seek out the business when shopping offline.

The study, Harnessing the Power of Facebook for Small Businesses, was fielded from February 24, 2015 to March 9, 2015 and garnered a total of 1,066 responses from U.S. adults, ages 18-65, who have shopped at a local business in the last 12 months and have an active Facebook profile.

About G/O Digital
The G/O Digital vision: To Transform Local Marketing and #WinLocal.

For Local Businesses, G/O Digital, a Gannett company, is one-stop shop for local businesses looking to connect with consumers through digital marketing, from search to social and everything in between. For National Brands and Agencies, G/O Digital delivers local digital activation at national scale with push-button simplicity powered by G/O Digital brands: Shoplocal, BLiNQ Media & Key Ring.

G/O Digital partners with more than 5,000 of the nation's top brands and retailers, including P&G, Target, Walmart and Walgreens and leads digital marketing programs with thousands of local businesses across more than 110 local markets. For more information, visit www.godigitalmarketing.com and @godigitalmarketing.

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SOURCE G/O Digital

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