Dynamic Business

Yahoo! Search Marketing has today announced a search marketing initiative for small business, investing up to $24 million in the advertising activities of Australian small businesses, entitled the ‘BIG BANG’ initiative.

Partnering with TrueLocal, Yahoo’s! BIG BANG initiative will be available to 160,000 small businesses across the country, providing businesses with a free three-month search engine advertising campaign.

In addition to this, a Yahoo! certified local specialist will set up and manage each campaign at no cost, making the campaign simple and easy to execute for any small business.

According to managing director of Yahoo! Search Marketing, Willie Pang, their goal is to “drive a paradigm shift” among small businesses, encouraging them to utilise the web to “better connect with consumers searching for their products and services online”.

The announcement comes as Google Australia unveiled a small businesses ‘stimulus’ in the form of a free $75 search marketing campaign.

Pang said that it’s “great the competition is also supporting small business”.

When asked on how their offer will help small business, Pang said that Yahoo! are helping to “simplify the process for small business” through “thorough consultations” with Yahoo! specialists.

“The BIG BANG initiative is taking the pain out of online advertising, as a Yahoo! certified local specialist will be fully managing each small business campaign at no cost.”

He said the main objective of the initiative is to educate small business to help them understand that search engine advertising is a “compelling alternative that will make a positive impact on their bottom line”.

Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) CEO Jaye Radisich has welcomed the initiative. “I am excited about the opportunity for small business this offer provides. It is cost-effective, highly targeted and environmentally friendly.”

She said it is a ‘win-win’ situation for small businesses and hopes that other organisations that provide services to help small businesses should follow suit and “think laterally about initiatives that can help small business, and help the economy”.

Serial entrepreneur and founder of Nudie, Tim Pethick, said the initiative is a “once in a lifetime opportunity for small business”, and that they have “no excuse not to go online with the Yahoo! Search Marketing initiative”.

“Small businesses are being given the opportunity during this economic climate to become the business of choice and preferred supplier. In order to achieve this they will need to create an attractive proposition and reach out to consumers through the web.”

Pethick believes that consumer online behaviours have changed rapidly over the past couple of years. They want value and businesses need to adapt and create value for their customers; and if they don’t the will lose out.

Ruhan Lund, chief executive officer of Yahoo!7 says, “more and more Australians are looking to the internet for information … by advertising online Australian small businesses potentially have access to a growing, engaged audience.”

For more information on the BIG BANG initiative, please visit bigbang.yahoo.com.au

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