Small Business: Navigating the new digital trends

Foursquare has 4 million users.

Facebook and Twitter have more than 575 million users combined.

Whether your business embraces the digital wave or not, your customers and competitors likely have, which makes it imperative that businesses learn to navigate the new digital landscape, says experts.

"Most small businesses are behind the times," explains Bob Heyman, co-author of "Marketing by the Numbers" (Amacom; $27.95) and senior partner at DigitalAutomat.com in Sausalito, Calif. "They probably heard about digital media and think they should be doing something but don't know what."

If you're new to the digital arena and uncertain where to begin, here's a rundown of some of the latest digital trends:

Web video marketing: Businesses are using video sharing sites like YouTube and Metacafe to talk more intimately to their audience, provide demonstrations, promote brand awareness, etc. "You want to be either educational or entertaining or both," Heyman says of these sites. For instance, Utah-based Blendtec has gathered quite a following with its ''Will It Blend'' YouTube videos, blending objects from iPhones to Old Spice in its high-performance blender (see willit blend.com), says Heyman.

Social media/networking: If your business isn't present on the social media scene, then you're likely missing the boat, says Andrew Hazen of Prime Visibility, an interactive marketing firm in Melville. Try out Facebook, Twitter and other sites and see what works best for your company, he notes. Create a Facebook fan page or start retweeting relevant industry-related topics.

Location-based marketing: You can run, but you can't hide thanks to downloadable mobile apps like Foursquare and Gowalla, where visitors can "check in" at various locations via their smart phone's GPS signal and broadcast their location to family, friends or colleagues, says Hazen. Businesses are registering themselves as destinations on these sites to create awareness and reward customers for frequent visits, he notes. For instance, MUSE Restaurant and Aquatic Lounge in Water Mill is offering the Foursquare user with the most check-ins (aka the mayor) one free drink with the purchase of an entree. "We do it because it not only brings customers in, but encourages them to come in again and again," says owner-chef Matthew Guiffrida.

Quick response (QR) codes: You'll soon be seeing more of these two-dimensional square bar codes, says Frank Dinolfo, director of digital services at Harrison Leifer DiMarco, a Rockville Centre-based advertising agency. Using a QR code generator like Kaywa or ScanLife, you can create these codes and upload them to various mediums, including print ads, mailers and billboards, he says. Users then scan the code with a smart-phone application and are directed to a landing page/website to access more information, offers, etc., says Dinolfo. Businesses such as the Garden City Hotel will soon be using QR codes on receipts to promote special offers at its restaurant, Rein, says Hazen, who's working with the hotel. Utilizing these digital technologies "is an opportunity for us to engage with our customers and prospects in a more profound way than any other combined media," says Kim Morrone, the hotel's director of marketing communications.

Texting campaigns: You can reach customers instantly now with offers and deals via texting campaigns, says Dinolfo. It's permission-based, so collecting customers' cell numbers is critical. "You're only limited to the marketer's imagination," he notes.

Mobile marketing/downloadable apps: With mobile marketing the possibilities are endless between mobile websites and downloadable smart phone applications, which provide instant access to business-specific information such as specials and photos. Companies like WordHampton PR in East Hampton have their own app and are creating them for clients. "We have 128 people that have downloaded the app," said president Steve Haweeli. "People continually want to have information at their fingertips, and their fingertips are gripping their smart phones."