In Business 1.0, businesses used advertising agencies or PR companies to connect with the public. Advertisements through Television, Radio, and press releases were the standard methods used for advertising and branding. These modes of advertisements offered a small scope for feedback, and there were almost no cheap ways for the businesses to know whether their campaigns were successful or not. Feedback or customer engagement was done through extensive polling or through customer service calls and messages, which was pretty expensive.

In Business 2.0, most companies had an online presence through websites or blogs, which were usually developed and maintained by a third party. This sort of arrangement kept those businesses at arm’s length, and there were almost none to few ways to understand customer engagement or make use of that data. Forget about customer targeting or engagement; there wasn’t even a proper digital strategy in place for many of these companies.

Fast forward to today’s third generation of business, Business 3.0, businesses can easily communicate directly with their customers and fan base and vice versa. With Business 3.0, you can directly market, promote, and sell to your customers. The benefit of direct communication with customers is the development of niche audiences. However, it is to be noted that since businesses and customers are in direct contact nowadays, from conception to product development, marketing and sales, the customers need continuous communication from the businesses. The only way for your small business to thrive in the Business 3.0 world is continuously put out content that is relevant and regular communication with customers. Big Tech Companies like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Google facilitate this need of the hour.

On average, Kiwis spend six hours on the internet daily, out of which almost two hours are spent on social media. The most popular online platforms used in New Zealand are Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. New Zealand, with a population of roughly 5 million, is also active in e-commerce activities, with 72% actually purchasing something online. When you put together all facts and figures, it is clear that good online marketing strategies can make a significant difference in the performance of your business. YouTube is one of the most popular sites among Kiwis, with 86.5% using it on a regular basis; as such, YouTube, paired with Google ads, can be used to target these audiences based on their gender and preferences for your business. Facebook is a close second, with 84% of Kiwis logging into the platform every day. Facebook offers many analytic tools such as Facebook Business and Facebook Pixel to reach target audiences. With Facebook ads, you can choose custom audiences based on their past engagement with your website and also reach new potential customers with similar interests as your best customers.