According to media researchers at The Kelsey Group, 81% of small businesses expect to maintain (47%) or increase (34%) their advertising spending over the next year. Only 9% of 300 small and medium-sized businesses responding to the company’s August survey plan to decrease spending.
These results suggest that tough economic times are not always accompanied by a reduction in ad dollars. Still, even small businesses report a shift in attitudes, with an increased focus on ad performance. Return on investment is the top influence on ad-spending decisions (31%), followed by business partners/competitors (25%).
Decreased or not, budgets are increasingly moving toward the Internet, social-networking functionality and video. In addition to integrating community features, 26% small-business marketers plan to integrate video into their own Web sites. Close to a third (30%) plan to advertise on social networks and blogs during the next 12 months.