Featured in Article on Social Media for Small Businesses

I was very excited to be interviewed for an article on how small businesses can use social media to level the playing field against larger competitors in the Daily Herald today.

One of the key points of the article is that small businesses need to be savvy about which social media networks they use to tell their brand story. Quite a few small businesses owners come up to me when I’m speaking or offering workshops and say “Everyone tells me that I have to be on Twitter (or other social media site).” My answer to that is two fold:

1. If your customers aren’t on Twitter then no, you don’t. If you aren’t talking to customers or potential customers, then who are you talking to? Only participate in social media channels where you can find your target audience. The time you invest in social media is all about attracting customers to your site. It’s still ultimately about making money.

2. If you are handling the social media communications yourself and you really aren’t comfortable with a platform, then skip it. If you find that your customers are on LinkedIn and Twitter but you just don’t like or understand Twitter, then just focus your time on LinkedIn. You’ll be able to communicate much more naturally if you are comfortable using the platform, which makes it easier to engage.

Check out the article and let me know what you think. Which social media platforms work well for you? Which platforms intimidate you?