My father, Dan Lacy, sent me a SearchEngineWatch.com link in my email today that talked about the number of small business and social media. Now, I am a huge fan of small businesses and I am a huge fan of social media. I had to open it.
According to the Access Markets International (AMI) Partners, the number of small businesses using social networking services and strategies will double in the next year. Now, this is good news for companies like man that want to help small businesses leverage social media. It is good to see a tool being adopted by the small businesse market (my favorite).
I do have one word of warning to small business owners wanting to leverage social media. If you are wanting to enter the social media space whether it is through social networking sits, a blog, podcasts, wikis, blah blah blah make sure you have a strategy in place to complete your efforts. Get the right training and social media partner. It is a must.
Danny Brown made a great comment on the post saying:
“While it’s great to see such a positive step by small business owners in embracing all social media has to offer, it needs to be done properly.
Too many business owners jump in and then drop their social media strategy a month or two later, complaining about lack of any ROI. It can’t be judged physically – social media needs a different approach.”
We agree completely, Danny.
As the landscape of marketing starts to shift and small business owners from 25 years old to 60 adopt new tools like social media, remember to be proactive.
We are all in the same boat… sliding back and forth on uncertainty…use the tools.. adapt the tools.. and win.
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I couldn’t agree more Kyle.
Far too many small businesses rush to set up profiles and enter into a kind of friend adding frenzy without any clear goals in mind or strategy to follow.
No wonder many of them end up feeling like it has all been a waste of time.
Underpinning social media success are the principes of marketing and these remain fairly constant. Interact with your target market and provide the products and services they want at a price they are willing to pay.
Whilst the strict RoI relationship may not be as clear cut as it once was the cost-benefit calculation still has to produce positive results for any business choosing social media to promote themselves.
The people reading this are not the ones who need this information the most. However, there is a lot of evidence of people using social media that also have not defined their purpose.
Just published an article on this at http://stevereports.com title Social Media Blueprint.
Very good article Kyle thank you.
Steve
I agree Kyle. One point to add to this – the area most small businesses have issues is connecting to customers to resolve problems. I am working with a company called RatePoint (http://www.ratepoint.com) that has built a
reputation management platform. Small businesses can integrate RP into their sites as a way to facilitate communication, resolving questions/issues to get in front of building solid reputation. This is an area that is growing that small businesses really need to focus on.
Good article. I agree about having a strategy in place while working with social media.
In fact at DeskAway we have created monthly plans, goals to achieve so that we ca keep track of our social media activities and streamline it!
http://www.deskaway.com
What does this tell me?
Social Media is going to get more crowed. I need to find the right neighborhood to hang out in to leverage my position.
I need help. I need help to make sure I have the tools and the “know how” to ride this wave as it builds.
More opportunities are coming our way. I need a strategy.
Thanks Kyle for your thoughts. I have some homework to do…
Larry Kevin
The Actionator!
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Ruth
http://besttoddler.com
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