SMBs Embrace Social Networking

By Greg McNevin

December 1, 2008: According to a new survey from SurePayroll, many small to medium businesses believe that social media services can be of great benefit, with one out of five SMBs obtaining new customers as a direct result of using services such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

The survey found that 55 percent of respondents thought that social networking can aid them, and according to SurePayroll President Michael Alter, the online presence of small businesses is becoming more important to remain competitive with large corporations.

This used to mean having a decent web site, however, with the rise of social media those SMBs willing to invest time into cultivating a more interactive presence online are finding new customers and closing the gap between larger corporations.

“It’s excellent that so many small businesses are starting to recognise the benefits of social networking,” says SurePayroll’s Online Marketing Manager David Rohrer. “Social networking offers small-business owners an inexpensive and effective way for them to connect with their customers and prospects.”

Alter adds that social networking offers huge competitive opportunities to SMBs, as the online world does not need huge marketing budgets and many of the most important services are free.

While a third of SurePayroll’s respondents showed enthusiasm for social networking, a third indicated that they were still unsure about its role in business. Facebook for example can be seen as an employee time-waster more than a business networking tool if used inappropriately. Due to this Alter says that it is important to weigh up the benefits and the risks, and if you decide to do it, do it properly.

“If you just dabble in it, you’re better off not doing anything,” says Alter. “Static is dead. The customer wants what’s current.”

Alter recommends SMBs weigh up which service is right for their business, and once one is chosen to allocate time to regularly maintain their online presence. If you create a blog for example, this can mean regularly posting and responding to comments positively. He also says that as social media is a more informal means of communicating with customers, a blog for example should not just be a dumping ground for press releases, but a place for genuine discussion with clients.

“The things you want to do is make sure you’re putting information out there in a way that reflects the personality of what your business is,” says Alter.

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