• by Ray Schultz , May 28, 2020

Small business owners are high on social media — 88% now use it as part of their digital marketing strategy. 

Yet they also continue to invest in the old standby channels: 56% plan to boost their website marketing, 54% plan to increase their email and 32% plan to amp up their video use in 2020, according to 7 Digital Marketing Tips For Small Businesses in 2020, a study by the B2B site The Manifest.

And an astonishing 63% of business owners polled still use traditional marketing vehicles such as print.

Email is popular among small business owners in all age groups. Among the millennial business owners polled, 80% plan to spend more on email marketing, as do 73% of Generation X business owners and 65% of baby boomers who own businesses.

In contrast, 50% of millennial business owners will boost their spend on social media, along with 31% of Gen Xer owners and 26% of boomers who own businesses.

At the same time, 50% of millennials will increase their website investment, as will 59% of Gen Xers and 52% of boomers.

Of those polled, 76% say their digital marketing efforts are effective in achieving their goals.

But they’re trying to control costs — 63% rely on in-house employees who double up on digital marketing and other responsibilities. Only 16% have staffers totally focused on digital.

The respondents listed six goals for their digital marketing:

• Convert leads to customers
• Increase website traffic
• Support revenue generation
• Increase brand engagement
• Build brand awareness

The Manifest surveyed 500 small business owners and managers across the United States.