Perception is Reality - Social Networking makes your business stand taller

A movement is brewing across the internet. The hard costs of marketing are plummeting. Money's role in marketing success, while still important, is now secondary to time, expertise and agility.  To succeed, companies able to make quick decisions, share openly and create remarkable content fast will win, regardless of size. 

Perception is Reality - Can Social Media make your Business Stand Taller?

Before the internet leveled the playing field for marketers, targeted marketing and advertising were the realm of large companies with big budgets.  Brand and reach were the metrics that marketers cared about.  Then the internet came along.  Initially it was still the realm of big companies who were willing to spend a lot on flashy websites and paid banner campaigns.  The advent of inbound and social media marketing have exposed new levers in the still young internet marketing industry.

In the wild of nature, many animals use spines, fur and feathers to create the optical illusion of size and ferocity.  In the internet wild, small companies have so many new tools available to them to put a face forward that is professional and fierce.  I was reminded of this during a weekend walk in my Austin neighborhood where a small colony of wild peacocks lives.  An albino peacock thought I was a threat and went from petite to grandiose in a matter of seconds!

What does this have to do with social media?

That peacock brought to mind the concept of leverage and how the internet provides small businesses an amazing tool to leverage the assets they have to play with the big boys. 

Truly, as a small business with limited budget, what non-monetary assets do you have? 

What are the conceptual feathers you've got that can help you get more attention on the web?

• Agility and willingness to learn
• Industry specific know-how & skills
• Industry and local relationships

You'd be surprised at how much you can do with those assets.

Many big businesses just aren't fast enough to listen to and act upon what the market is telling them.  Your small business should be listening to the social media mentions related to your industry to find out what pain points aren't being addressed, engage with the community and collaborate on ways to solve those problems.

You are a source of knowledge in your space where inevitably, someone is looking for answers.  Be among the earliest to share your knowledge freely and develop a devoted following of potential customers who will eventually look to you for not only answers, but also products and services.

Take your existing relationships online.  If your industry isn't at the forefront of internet technology, that's ok.  Start small and be the one to start that innovation; you might find others looking to you for advice as an entire generation grows up online and will expect every industry there in the future.

Read More Here:

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5804/Can-Social-Media-Help-Small-Business-Overtake-Corporate-America.aspx#ixzz0nBqHFzxm

Written by: Kirstin Knipp