Social Media A Small Business Saviour

The advent of social media marketing through Facebook and Twitter has cast a lifeline to many small businesses trying to stay afloat in the turbulent recession waters.

The American market has been buoyed by start-up businesses and others thriving in these difficult times thanks to the marketing opportunities of Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Television and radio advertising is an expensive luxury for many small businesses often operating on tight budgets and, with the global economic downturn and increased competition, reaching an audience became increasingly difficult.

The economical value of using Facebook and Twitter, doubled with its personal interactivity has spiked the interest of many small businesses that are now enjoying increased customer numbers courtesy of this medium.

A Medium More In-tune With Your Customer Base

Using Facebook and Twitter may not be suitable for some businesses but if your services are aimed at a customer base likely to be using social media, it is hard to ignore. This is the view of Rachael Ritchie, who runs Goodfellas Pizza in Athens, Ohio. “They're not a good fit for everyone, but if you're a small business with a customer base who uses social media, you can't afford not to use them.”

One of the biggest draws of this marketing channel is the chance to interact with customers, even offering them the opportunity to affect what you sell, leading to Mrs. Ritchie stating, “real-time feedback is invaluable.”

Affecting immediate changes in circumstances is another huge benefit of Twitter in particular as another businesswoman from Ohio explains. “If I get a last minute cancellation I hop on to Twitter and within minutes I've filled the appointment,” says spa owner Jennifer Hunt.

Because most followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook are there through a mutual interest in the business, it is easier for owners to market their products, changes and promotions to a receptive audience, waiting for such news.

Helping Smaller Businesses Grow

Major brands like McDonalds and Starbucks were amongst the first to embrace social media’s power but it is smaller businesses that are likely to notice greater gains. This is the opinion of Anamitra Banerji, manager of commercial products at Twitter. "Every day we are seeing businesses using Twitter in more and more creative and exciting ways. We've got lots of restaurant and bar owner’s right through to plumbers and building managers."

It is not just customer interaction where Twitter and Facebook accounts are useful, more and more small businesses are coming together on these networks to help each other with advice, orders and mutual promotion, creating a rich online community in the process.

Quality Not Quantity the Key

To maximize the potential of this marketing goldmine it is important not to let standards slip. Although conversation is key, communicating your business message shouldn’t be blurred with too much informal chat. This requires a steady flow of interaction with customers and avoiding bombarding them with copious reams of useless information.

To speak with a home james campaign manager to understand how we could help implement an effective social marketing strategy for your company, please get in touch with us.