Small Business Find Strength in Social Media

Running A Small Business Inc.

My last post spoke of the not so nice side of social media for business, but it was bought to my attention in The Entrepreneur's Daily Dose article that social media is live and well with little downsides in the realm of small businesses. The article notes that some of America's fastest growing companies (small businesses) host twice as many blogs, and 71 percent use Facebook as well as 59 percent use their Twitter on a regular basis. Social media has made its presence known but it is no longer just for the big guns, now the little guys want in on the action too.

Making It Easy

1.  IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE: As small businesses, there target audience is a small group based on their product, location, and demographics there advertising through social media should be the same. Social media is helpful in the sense that it helps to target the correct audience but still allows audiences outside of your typical customer to view your company possibly causing increase in word of mouth or sharing. 
2. PICK THE SOCIAL MEDIA RIGHT FOR YOUR COMPANY: Today, there are tons of social media websites with all different emphasis or focuses. The small business should assess where they are going to find there target audience, the format of the website, and how they will use this tool for their benefit.

Social Media Examiner

3. MANAGE IT: Once the page, website, and blog is created the small company needs to remember to keep it up to date with new information and posts about business or new products. By keeping it updated it will generate interest and keep your viewers wanting more. 

4. WORK YOUR AUDIENCE: Through posting and updates you will discover your correct audience, and keep their audience. Or even get them to spread word to their friends. The more interested you can keep your audience, the more message will spread. Engage them with discussion, feedback, suggestions, or even criticism. Anything will help them feel involved in the process and apart of the company. Making your audience feel cared about will help to create their feeling of having a stake in the company. 

Risks of Not Getting InvolvedWriter for Forbes Magazine, Kym McNicholas warns small businesses they do not take advantage of social media  that they will lose their customers.

 "If you don’t engage in the conversation, you risk losing your customers."

Social media has become a inter-graded part of business and advertising if companies opt out of being apart of this new culture, they are taking huge risks as this becoming one of the main ways of communication, connection to customers and stakeholders.

The New "K" Word

Klout.com

Along with new words like tweet, tumble, and pinterest comes klout. Klout is a free measurement of influence. Hessie Jones of the Vancouver Sun defines the word as

"Klout has a pretty sophisticated algorithm to define an individual social media influence score."

This service helps small business to see the true impacts of their social media ventures and its effects on both their customers and stakeholders. The whole point of social media is to create interest, or an impact by monitoring these companies have the chance of bettering their services and products, as well as being more effective and efficient helping to save money.