Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a relaxing break over the holiday period and had time to rejuvenate and possibly set some goals for 2024.
I spent some time with family and friends at the beach for a week. The weather wasn’t the best for sitting on the beach so I backed up my computer, cleaned out my email account and photos on my iphone. I always take too many photos.
It is so important to backup your data and update your security especially if you are a small business. Here are some statistics which shows why it is so important:
- Cost of Cybersecurity Incidents: The average cost of a ransomware attack in 2024 is $4.54 million, and the average cost of recovering from such an attack in 2023 was $1.82 million, excluding the ransom payment.
- Data Breach Lifecycle: A breach lasting under 200 days costs 30% less than one with a lifecycle longer than 200 days.
- Ransomware Downtime: Ransomware attacks cause an average of 16.2 days of downtime.
- Data Recovery Rates: Only about 8% of victims recover all of their data after a ransomware attack, with the average victim losing around 35% of their data.
- Cost of Downtime: The average cost of downtime is approximately $1,410 per minute.
- SME Vulnerability: More than half of cyberattacks affect small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), with 60% of these businesses closing within six months after an attack.
- Human Error in Data Loss: About 14% of data loss is caused by human error, while 43% is due to hardware failure. Additionally, 93% of businesses with unexpected large data loss face closure.
- Cloud Storage Adoption: 93% of small businesses use cloud technology for data or backups, with the number of organizations relying solely on cloud-based solutions expected to rise significantly.
When I returned home I completed a thorough test of my website, checked the speed, tested the forms and backed it up. I also ran some tests using my favourite tools Screaming Spider and ahrefs, updated any security updates (especially if hosted with WordPress), although this is a regular occurence in my office.
Then I made a plan for the next few months on what to spend my hard earned dollars on in Marketing. As AI is taking over the world, I tested a few AI tools out and watched a some of my favourite You Tube subscriber videos to try and keep up in this ever changing world.
Even though AI is here, I believe it still has alot to improve on so I will continue with my existing traditional marketing strategies such as writing content, Email Marketing, posts on my Google Profile, Facebook Marketing and Google Ads. However I do use ChatGPT and Bard to help me with writing better Google Ads and content creation. It does save time however I always have to review and add my own content.
I also ran some reports out of Google Analytics to get some customer insights and see what is the most engaging content on my website and how my clients are finding my site. This is something I do on a monthly basis.
My goal for 2024 is to setup some automation emails, watch more tutorials, write some FAQs for my website and create some short videos (reels) for marketing. I also want to learn more about AI tools and what they can do to help make marketing easier. I am currently testing a Treepl ChatBot which I will share with you when I am happy with it.
Some Emerging Trends in Digital Marketing for 2024 and their Potential Impact on Small Businesses
Video content remains a dominant force in digital marketing. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels offer vast opportunities for small businesses to engage audiences with creative, informative, and entertaining content. Short-form videos, in particular, can be a cost-effective way to increase brand awareness and reach.
With the increasing use of smart speakers and voice-activated devices, optimising for voice search is becoming crucial. Small businesses should start incorporating conversational keywords and FAQs in their content to appear in voice search results, enhancing visibility and accessibility.
With increasing data privacy concerns and regulations, small businesses need to prioritise customer data protection. Transparent data practices and secure handling of customer information can help build trust and loyalty.
Consumers are increasingly favouring brands that demonstrate sustainability and social responsibility. Small businesses can integrate these values into their marketing strategies to resonate with environmentally and socially conscious consumers.
Interactive content like quizzes, polls, and augmented reality experiences can significantly boost engagement. This trend encourages small businesses to create more interactive and immersive content to engage their audience uniquely.
Collaborating with influencers can be a powerful strategy for small businesses. Micro-influencers, in particular, often have highly engaged audiences and can be more affordable and relevant for niche markets.
By adapting to these trends, small businesses can stay competitive, reach wider audiences, and build stronger relationships with their customers.
I would love to hear your experiences or some marketing strategies you may have in place for 2024! If you are willing to share, please post on my facebook page.