The Power of Social Media

Social media is powerful. Obvious statement? Sure, but the exact potency of its strength is still being measured. What we know for certain is that the ability of small groups or singular individuals to influence public opinion has not been this strong since the printing press was first invented. News reports are being made into hit songs on YouTube, people are being hired over Twitter, and new industry leaders are emerging as companies try to get a handle on what exactly their place is in this space.

Without question, we are in a new era, and it’s only going to get better. Large businesses have found their niche, be it organizing contests on Facebook or using Twitter as their own customer service hotline. But what does this mean for small businesses? And is it really necessary for your business to have a voice in this new community?

Well the short answer is yes. But the long answer has nothing to do with you being left behind the times, or with everyone else doing it. That’s no reason for you to do anything with your business. Why you should embrace social media as a part of your overall communications strategy is partially preventative and entirely self-serving. You should be in the social space so your customers can get a personal response when they have a concern. Or so you can thank and reward champions of your product. There are people out there who are willing to tell the world how awesome your product is, and you being in the space only makes it easier for you to hear them.

As far as prevention goes, it’s well known that when businesses cut costs, things start to go wrong. With the recession just now ending, it’s going to take a while for things to return to peak performance. Should something explode or even just taste bad, you have the ability to completely change the way your customers see you by the way you handle it.

So take some time and get familiar with a few social media tools. If you need any help, contact us and we can guide you with your own strategic plan to reach your audience effectively.