Should Your Small Business Be Using Social Media?

Diane Vautier April 20, 2010

If you’re a small business, you’ve no doubt been bombarded with requests to participate in various Social Media platforms on both personal and business levels.  And quite frankly, you may think it’s all just a bunch of hoopla; another way of distracting you from dealing with the ‘real things to do’ that need your attention every day at the office.

If that’s you, then here’s some good news and some bad news.

First the bad news. You’re about to be hit by a tsunami of shifting communication styles that is changing the face of how you interact with your customer base.  Not easy to hear, but better to know now than in 6 months or a year from now, when the wave is crashing on top of you and you’re clinging to a tree branch, searching the skies for the rescue helicopter. A bit dramatic, I know, but you get the idea.

Ok, so now the good news. There is hope.  Small businesses just like yours are flocking to Social Media in hoards and are satisfied with the results.

eMarketer reports that according to “The State of Small Business Report” by Network Solutions and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland, social media usage increased to 24% from 12% the year before, doubling its adoption rate.  The majority of those (75%) have a company page on social media websites like Facebook or LinkedIn or post status updates or articles to those sites (69%).

In fact forecasters are predicting continued growth of Social Media spending with companies allocating nearly one fifth of all their marketing dollars to Social Media over the next five years (eMarketer reporting on “The CMO Survey” from Duke University and the American Marketing Association).

Interestingly, how small businesses are using social media isn’t all that surprising compared to traditional sales and marketing methods. Citing the “Small Business Marketing Forecast 2010” by Ad-ology, eMarketer tells us that lead generation topped the list, followed closely by keeping up with the industry and monitoring what’s being said about their business.

If you are one of the early adopters of Social Media for business, then congratulations. You’re well on your way to success. If you’re still considering if it’s worthwhile or not, now is the time to decide and take action.

And, if you really just don’t want any part of this silly Social Media fad, that’s ok too.  I’ll give directions to the rescue helicopter pilot so he will know where to find you.

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1. A Case of the Cobblers Kids Shoes (but only with Marketing Blog Posts Instead) | DianeVautier.com — May 7, 2010 @ 10:41 pm

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