Most Effective SMB Marketing Channels, February 2013 [CHART]

Chart - Most Effective SMB Marketing Channels

TV ads might get just a small share of SMB marketing budgets, but they’re perceived as extremely effective, according to results from a soon-to-be-released Vocus survey, conducted by Edge Research. The study found that 53% of respondents rated TV ads a top-2 box score on a 10-point scale of effectiveness. TV ads were rated as more effective than radio (43%), outdoor (43%), online display (42%) and print (31%) ads, and also beat out popular marketing channels such as search (SEO – 42%), social (40%), and email (39%).

The study shows that despite the rapid rise of digital marketing, SMBs still recognize the effectiveness of in-person contact. 62% rated person-to-person contact as very effective (the highest percentage of the 11 identified channels), while 46% said the same about events and trade shows. That mirrors results from a Constant Contact survey of small businesses, which found them citing in-person interactions as their most effective marketing activity. A survey of SMBs by Act-On Software also found them most often using personal interactions to acquire new customers. Read the rest at MarketingCharts.