These days, if you have a business and you’re not using social media it is equivalent to not using print and TV ads in the 1980s.

Social media is “media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques” allowing the creation and exchange of user-generated content. It encompasses such on-line platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and tools like magazines (e-zines), Internet forums, weblogs (blogs), social blogs, micro blogging (i.e.; Twitter), wikis, social networks (i.e., Facebook), podcasts, photographs or pictures, video, rating and social bookmarking.

For example, Facebook (a social networking site) recently hit a billion users worldwide and LinkedIn (a professional networking site) has 175 million users worldwide.

For business, this translates into a vast potential of multi-faceted market opportunities and for small business it can mean so much more. Small businesses still need to turn a profit just as their larger counterparts, but working on tiny budgets and with few staff can prove constrictive to marketing and publicity opportunities. So how can social media help your small business grow?

First, most social media tools offer a free account and free services (with many offering the option of upgrading to paid services that offer more functionality and applications), immediately attractive to those working on a shoestring budget. By creating a Facebook business page for example, clients who ‘like’ your page will see your status updates, new product photos, customer appreciation events and deals, and much more. Customers can comment on product or service information you’ve posted, ask questions or air their concerns – all of which you can reply to publicly helping build a customer relationship based on transparency and commitment to customer service.

Twitter Followers

Second, one of the purposes of social media is its ‘shareability’. Customers can share information about their favourite brands with friends and family, thus creating one of marketing’s much-desired effects; word-of-mouth. Time-tested as one of the most, if not the only, best method of marketing, word-of-mouth in the 21st century is as easy as the click of button and your marketing reach will extend exponentially or, better yet, go viral.

Third, you can use these tools to analyze your market.

And finally, social media allows you to connect and interact with your customers in real-time. Customer service is probably the one constant you can have control over in your business and which adds credibility (and ultimately sustainability) to your company’s brand. Being able to answer customer questions or concerns in a timely manner, posting helpful information or even fun pictures of your staff at work can do a lot in building trust and rapport with your customers, both current and potential.

Social media has not only changed the way we interact with each other socially, but how companies conduct business; taking advantage of its power is a strategic and business savvy move.

For more information contact the CEDEC Small Business Support Network at www.cedec.ca/sbsn
Or

Sterling Lambert
1-888-641-9912 or 514.903.3753 ext. 225

Or by email at; sterling.lambert@cedec.ca