For small business marketing, engagement with customers is key, according to industry expert Elizabeth Kraus. In a Business 2 Community post, she said engagement will be an important part in a marketing campaign's success this year, because of the large amount of businesses using marketing emails and other areas of online marketing.

Engaging with a new customer successfully is a three-step process. Kraus said SMBs first need to find the prospect, then hook them with a product or service so that they form some loyalty to the brand. After establishing a sense of brand loyalty, businesses should encourage the customer to then spread the word about the company to friends and family.

"The interactions that will engage people – get them to want to do business with you, to want to do business with you again, to want to tell others about you, and to want to do business only with you (when it comes to the products and services you provide) – these types of interactions will be those where alignment of emotional connection and relevance (what you have is actually something they need) occurs," Kraus said.

Scott Gerber, founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, recently compiled tips for small business marketing professionals looking to engage customers. The tips, which were featured on Mashable, included putting the spotlight on customers, keeping in touch with customers via tools such as Skype and making people in the business accessible.