Social Networking for Small Business

I have spent some time recently working with small businesses and talking about varying marketing options. In connection with this, I found this blog recently and thought it was good information and has several valuable links. Hope it helps:

Social Networking – What’s the Big Deal?
Posted on March 1, 2011 by Ina Lejins
You’ve seen them — Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, MySpace, Slashdot, Blinklist, Newsvine, and hundreds more — little social networking icons popping up on most websites and blogs, each one a portal into communities built around social interaction and sharing common interest.

Each social network serves as a common meeting ground and, just as some folks prefer chocolate over vanilla, each social community has its own flavor of followers.

So what is the big deal? Social media has soared to the top of the news mainly because of the sheer number of participants and the subsequent effects of sharing information virally. It’s the old-fashioned way of spreading news with a new-tech touch. Not unlike the effect of television… back in the day.

With social networking, news can spread fast presenting opportunities to showcase your business, or your cause, to people you have never met.

If you are reading this you may already be familiar with social networking as are over 600 million people on the planet who currently use the top social networking platform, Facebook. But perhaps you’re one of the many entrepreneurs or business owners scratching their heads asking, “Just how can (or even if) social networking help my business reach new markets and increase sales?”

Can social media help my business? While social networking may very well become a marketing cornerstone for your business in the future, it requires targeted decisions and a clear plan; and for some, it might mean picking up a few new ‘social’ skills.

Ask yourself the following to determine if social networking might benefit your business:

1. Who are your customers and target markets? Consider their age and demographics for clues about how technically integrated they might be.

2. Where do your customers socialize on the Web? For example, specific age groups trend toward Facebook while other demographics seek more detailed information by following blogs or engaging in forums related to their interests.

3. Is your business primarily local or is it available nationally or globally? While geography may no longer be the barrier it once was, factor in culture, language and locality to determine which social media platform best speaks to your audience.

A little research goes a long way. Once demographics are established, take time to develop a clear social networking plan for your entrance into social media. The result will be well worth the initial effort. Below you will find a number of tools to help you wet your feet in the social media pool.

Resource Links:

Five Organizing Principles for Social Media in 2011
Top 15 Social Networking Sites

Resource Videos:

Short video featuring Mari Smith, well-known Social Media guru explaining Twitter Tips for Beginners

View a quick 3 minute video – Marketing with Facebook

Take a peek into the social media revolution, a dynamic YouTube video produced by Erik Qualman, author of “Social Media ROI: Socialnomics”, which illustrates how far the mind-boggling usage social media has reached in just a few years.