If you are online at all, you can’t miss the buzz around social media. Twitter and LinkedIn in particular have begun to cement their place in the business world, while some of the more adventurous companies are even extending themselves into the world of Facebook.
But not everyone is convinced that social media is the right direction for them. A recent survey by Citibank / GfK Roper found that small business owners and managers are still hesitant to join the social networking craze, with 76% of respondents saying they have not found these social networking sites useful for their businesses.
That’s not to say that small business executives aren’t using the Web; 42% report that they’ve been focusing on building their individual Web sites as lead generators.
But those businesses that have jumped on board do report some success. For something that requires very little investment – a few minutes each day to update your Twitter feed with a new product offering or initiative announcement – a little success can result in huge ROI.
Manufacturers’ Alliance/MAPI put out a report recently, What B2B Marketers are Doing (and Not Doing) with Social Media. The report, based on a survey, finds that the best results come from using social media as a way to create brand awareness, followed closely by improving communication with employees and even revenue generation.
An easy way to capitalize on these tools is to develop an integrated social media strategy. For example, if you post a new white paper on your site as part of your online build-out, Twitter is an easy way to announce that release on a much larger scale – even globally.
Want numbers? When I recently posted an announcement to MDM’s Twitter feed about an upcoming Webcast, 10 people from three countries clicked the link within the first 60 seconds of it being posted. And it only took me about 30 seconds to make the post. (Upcoming MDM Webcasts)
A year ago, Luke Bucklin, president of Sierra Bravo Corp., predicted that in two or three years, Twitter may be the preferred method for communication with customers. We may be moving even more quickly in that direction than Bucklin expected.
