Sunday, March 11, 2012

A Few Thoughts of a Small Business Owner and Social Media…

As business owners and entrepreneurs, we take deep pleasure and pride in being our own boss – we do not need to conform to any specificity of work patterns; social life; or require approval and/or affirmation whether a new idea should be tried out.  Individuals with imagination will create something that is rewarding – we need to conceive ideas; trouble-shoot and solve issues; experiment; make decisions; and analyze the results.  When our ideas and efforts are productive and turn out well, we have a deep sense of pride and accomplishment.

How might this philosophy apply to Social Media?  Clearly, this is a question many of us have asked at one time or another.  The inundation of services such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in, Google+, etc., allow for large amounts of information in a short amount of time.  The implication within this system that information is free; all opinions should be heard; and that censorship should be considered unethical.  As we realize this, the social media system, and the vast amount of information, allow people to make more efficient connections with others as well as be more informed.

Social media networking can be used to inform individuals about the stability and credibility of your business. The substantial majority will agree that image is everything – we need to present the best aspects, products, and knowledge about our business to the world – using positives to boost our images.  Some businesses underestimate the effectiveness of social media – yes, there is article marketing, link exchanges, and so forth, but socializing is a natural way to get in touch with potential customers and clients. Your website is exposed to many people, and the communicative representation we present will affect who chooses to pay attention or move on.

By the same token, social media allows us to connect with colleagues, professionals, and/or entrepreneurs in a friendly, honest manner. We market our respective business subtly – offering advice and guidance to others – affording these individuals the opportunity to learn more about our businesses without the need of forcing them to look at advertisements.  Once we attain a trust level, we can share information about our products or services. Ideally, they will share that information with their friends and/or colleagues – it may not provide us money directly, yet it will create a buzz about your website, which results in more potential sales.

Internet scams have made many of us reluctant to trust an online businesses. With the present economic state, many small business owners do not have disposable income to spend; yet, by providing hope and trust, we can gain an advantage over our competitors.  I have, and will continue to encourage us, to actually interacting with our acquaintances, colleagues, and/or fellow professionals.  Doing so allows us to get to know them; we can better ascertain which products and services to promote; and we can undertake market research without the high tangible expenditures.

Most all of us realize branding our products and/or services is the key.  I cannot stress enough that we must participate in discussions; actively engage others; offer guidance and advice as appropriate; and be involved in online communities. As we acquire followers, keep them updated on all the latest good news and information related to your respective business.

We continually practice this field of social media business each and every day, and the pursuance of business and subsequent revenue is the ideal goal of us all.  In our efforts, which will be arduous and challenging many times, will yield positive rewards – we just need to choose to take the first steps in literally reaching out, such as calling a business contact we met online and just conversing with them; taking a moment to compose an email; and/or presenting a professional recommendation.

As always, I welcome any and all comments, suggestions, and thoughts.  Thank you all in advance for your kindest of considerations…

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