Aug
4
Social Media Is A Big Deal For Business
You’ve seen them — Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, MySpace, Slashdot, Blinklist, Newsvine, and hundreds more — little social networking buttons popping up on websites and blogs, each one a portal into communities built around social interaction and sharing common interest.
Each social network serves as a common meeting ground and, just as some folks prefer chocolate over vanilla, each social community has its own flavor of followers.
So what is the big deal? Social media has catapulted to the top of the news in part due to the sheer numbers of participants and the subsequent effects of sharing information virally. It’s the old-fashioned way of spreading news with a new-tech touch.
With social networking, news can spread fast presenting opportunities to share your business or your non-profit organization with people you have never met.
If you are reading this you may already be familiar with social networking as are over 800+ million people on the planet who currently use the top social networking platform, Facebook. But perhaps you’re one of the many entrepreneurs or business owners scratching their heads asking, “Just how can social networking help my business reach new markets and increase sales?”
Can social media help my business? Social networking for business does require a clear social media plan and targeted messages.
Ask yourself the following to determine if social media might benefit your business:
- Who are your customers or target markets? Consider their age and demographics for clues about how, or if, they participate on the Internet.
- Where do your customers socialize on the Web? For example, some age groups trend toward Facebook while other demographics seek more detailed information, following blogs or engaging in forums related to their interests.
- Is your business primarily local or is it available nationally or globally? While geography may no longer be the barrier it once was, factor in culture, language and locality to determine which social media platform hosts your audience.
A little research goes a long way. Once demographics are established, take the time to develop a clear social networking plan for your entrance into social media. The result will be well worth the initial effort.
