In today’s business environment the
scope and influence of social media is enormous. According to Social Media Today, Facebook has
over 1.15 billion users. Twitter and “Google Plus” each have over 500 million
users. The variety of social media
platforms permits immediate access to information and offers the ability to
spread that information quickly. For a
small business owner, harnessing the power of the social media can be a daunting
task.
The environment we call the
Internet constantly changes. New
platforms emerge frequently to replace older ones and they do so quickly. For example, in 2003, MySpace was the up and
coming social media giant and Facebook was little more than an idea. In just over a decade Facebook became the
largest social media platform and MySpace is a social entertainment platform
with a declining user population. New
technologies emerge redefining how people work and play in cyberspace. New and more specialized platforms come online
every month with a unique set of followers and influence.
A number of factors are driving the
growth. Portable devices like smart
phones and tablets allow us to carry technology with us wherever we go. Portability coupled with the growth in
communication networks allows people to stay in constant contact with social
media platforms. Whether in our
vehicle, sitting in a restaurant, or attending a sporting event, people stay
connected. The expansion in the number
of social networks creates niche groups with specialized functions offering
something unique. Twitter emphasizes
microblogging using short posts; Instagram is for online photo and video
sharing, while Pinterest targets theme based image collections. This is not an exhaustive list of social
media options, but does illustrate the diversity in social media sites. Finally, simplicity of design and improvements
in the product tools enable users to control the content appearing on social
media. Much of the content on traditional
websites can be controlled and managed by end users with limited assistance by
technology specialists.
Often small business owners
question the rationale for spending the time and effort on social media. The answer to that question is always the
same – your customers, both current and prospective, are there. Americans spend an average of 37 minutes
daily on social media which is more than any other major Internet activity
including email. Over 60% of that time
is not spent at the desktop, but rather it is on smartphones and tablet
devices. Social media, then, can be a
powerful tool to build awareness of your brand and your products or
services. Because the Internet never
closes, a business can deliver images, videos, text, and mail which can be
viewed at the leisure of the user. But,
the process goes beyond simply delivering content. Social media is about building community and that
community then sharing your information with others in their sphere of
influence. In something akin to watching a spider web grow, one user shares
with another who shares with another and so on driving interest into what your
business is doing. It takes time to
build, but can pay dividends over the long term.
With so many social media platforms
available, we’re often asked which one is best for a business. No absolute answer exists for this, but here
are some things to consider. First, look
at the social media channel and see which one best aligns with your product or
service. Second, don’t try to do
everything. It is much better to be
relevant and successful on a few channels than to be mediocre across many. Next, work out a strategy and plan for
implementing your social media activities.
If you need help with this or any business problems, we have resources to
help guide you.
No comments:
Post a Comment