One of the common questions today from small business marketers is whether social media can benefit them and how.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve most likely heard of sites like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, LinkedIn, and YouTube.  Businesses are heading to these platforms and the fact is a presence on these platforms allows companies to engage in conversation with consumers and also serves as an outlet to drive sales through coupons and deals.

Did you know that 70% of US households now use the Internet as an information source when shopping locally for products and services?  Or that 31% of all business buyers turn to a Search Engine first when looking for a locally based product or service?

In a nutshell Social Media is relationship building and word-of-mouth advertising; and when small businesses use social media and participate on the social web in a meaningful way, it helps create a personal connection between customers and the brand.  Keep in mind that Social Media is a two-way conversation; you must listen and respond to your customers.  This two-way conversation will give you a better idea of your customer concerns and help you resolve any issues.

Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or Foursquare, it’s more important than ever to be part of the conversation because Social Media communities are breeding grounds for interaction.

Will you make the choice to join the conversation?

Tags: Facebook, search engine, small business, social media, social media marketing

This entry was posted on 29/09/2010 at 3:50 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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