Can You Make Money on Facebook, Twitter or Other Social Media Networks?

“Has anybody figured out how to make money on here?”

I’ve run across people asking this question on Facebook and Twitter quite often, and the topic even comes up frequently offline.

Of course, this question isn’t coming from casual passers-by who’re just interested in reconnecting with their pals.  The question of social media monetization belongs to the business people, the entrepreneurs who’ve logged on with blatant or subdued hopes of cashing in.  And the question seems fair enough.  After all, we’re spending lots of our time and energy on these sites.  Will there be a pay-off…ever?

My quick answer is “no and yes.”

If the motive is the fast buck, good luck.  I’ll risk repeating myself to say that social media is not an outlet for ceaseless strings of 140-character classified ads.  If you deluge followers and friends with nothing but direct selling messages, you soon won’t have many followers or friends.  Granted, that tactic can work when playfully carried out by the occasional local pizzeria or bakery (hourly updates about what’s fresh out of the oven go over nicely with hungry Tweeters, I suppose) or retailers offering exclusive deals (i.e. – Dell’s successful Twitter sales pushes).

Nonetheless, status is usually done for gratis.

I liken the approach to social media to that of public relations.  In PR, we earn trust and presence with constituencies by bringing forth quality information and ideas on a consistent basis, offering pertinent and timely responses/input to current issues and substantively participating in communities.  PR is about building reputation, and try as we might to assign exact dollar signs to the value of a great reputation, it’s pretty much priceless.

Still, it’s fair to presume a business with a great reputation would have sales that reflect its positive market perception.  The dividends may not pay out in immediate, directly trackable and measurable ka-ching as would an advertising or direct marketing campaign, but the long term value is immense, impactful and important.

Social media lets companies be part of communities.  Social media extends business’ presence into customers’ lives.  It generates and facilitates conversation, connects friends old and new and adds dimension to what people know about a company. Ultimately, these things build attraction and affinity with a loyal audience that will take action (get a free white paper on this topic) by making purchases.

There will be pay-off, yes.  But it will take time, patience and ongoing nurturing.

A recent Forbes.com article also delved into the idea of cashing in on social networking.  The article features an interview with Brett Hurt, founder of Bazaarvoice.  Bazaarvoice offers user-generated review platforms that can be incorporated directly into brand websites.  The business model contends that people go to brand websites to buy, thus it’s beneficial to incorporate social networking at the point of purchase.  Hurt likened participating in Facebook and Twitter to attending a cocktail party, with the punchline being that “nobody shops at a cocktail party.”

Very true.  When people are mixing and mingling in their favorite social network, they probably don’t have their credit cards in hand.  But they are trading ideas and information with friends and deepening relationships in real, though often subtle, ways.  And in the business world, there are some pros who have the knack for working cocktail parties to their great advantage.  A few biz cards collected at a networking event can lead to paying gigs down the road.

My friend and colleague Paula Swift, owner of Prosper, Business Image Consulting, is a perfect example.  Just like Paula can work a cocktail party or networking event, she can work her presence on Facebook and LinkedIn.  When she makes a connection online, she’s savvy to take note of the person’s occupation, and if things align, she simply takes the effort to inquire further about what they do.  And now and again, that little extra effort pays off.

Paula recently reconnected with a school friend on Facebook and noted he works in the promotional merchandise business.  She followed up by inquiring about ideas for promo items for one of her clients, just to keep in mind.  Months later, Paula knew who to contact when a specific opportunity arose, and the entire transaction occurred within Facebook.  Paula’s old friend from school landed an order, Paula was able to charge her agency commission, and thus, using Facebook really did pay off.

The great thing is, it happened organically.  There was no intense hounding, spamming or pelting sales messages.  Paula noted a professional synergy with a Facebook friend, the friend responded, and when the time was right, both benefitted from the connection.

Another phenomenal example of organic, social networking business combustion:  Help A Reporter Out, the brainkid of Peter Shankman.  Shankman is an NYC PR guy.  He has many clients and knows tons of reporters, thus he launched a Facebook group to connect media in need of information with sources who could supply.  All this is for FREE, mind you.  The group exploded past Facebook’s allowable numbers, so Shankman shifted the burgeoning entity to his own website.  In just a couple years, this group—still FREE for participants—is a profitable venture.  Shankman sends three emails a day, chock full of media leads (you really should sign up!), with an amusing, paid ad at the start of each email.  Shankman started by giving…and continues to give, but he’s certainly gained in the process.

That’s great news for Swift and Shankman, but what about the question at hand…for YOU?  Is there any money to be made here?  No and yes…

No, social media is not your marketing microwave, your online cash machine for new biz.  You’ve got to invest for the long term and be willing to give to get.  Yes, social media can nurture reputations and create and enhance relationships that pay out dividends in the long term.  It’s not the be all, end all.  Small businesses are well advised to invest in comprehensive marketing, including SEO, advertising, direct communications, traditional PR and in person networking and sales.

Growing a business offline or on, it’s still true that the harder you work, the more successful you’ll be.  That you can count on.

Thanks!

Dig In! Treat Social Media Like a Full Meal

A social media plan is not an à la carte menu, so if you’re using social media to help take your small biz big time, come hungry.  This stuff isn’t for snacking.  Maybe you can get away with some à la carte, pick-and-choose in a marketing plan (operative word:  “maybe”), but you simply must order the full course meal to get a social media plan’s impact.

For example, a solitary blog is like an island—hard to get to without a boat or a bridge.  A Twitter account unto itself will serve little purpose for many business people.  A Facebook fan page without the nurturing of fresh content or interconnectivity will wither and fade all too quickly.

Social media requires commitment to a process.  One link leads to another, like tributaries flowing into a river that’s flowing toward the sea.  Ignore one aspect, and the flow is affected.  Ignore many aspects, and the flow will ultimately cease completely.

Have you been ordering à la carte when it comes to your social media?  Have you tried to sample things without investing time and effort to plan your work and work your plan?   That’s like connecting only select dots on the page and expecting to get a full picture.  There really aren’t any skippable steps here.  As I’ve recently blogged, social media is not a marketing microwave; steadiness and patience are required, but the potential rewards are great enough to merit the ongoing effort.

Of course, you can’t do everything “social” that’s out there.  But you can round out a plan that employs essential elements, to ensure connectivity and eliminate any missing links that might hinder your social media success.  Connect the main dots to reveal the big picture.  Then you’ll be able to fill in the details much more easily over time.

Here are the big picture, full-course basics you’ve must include from the get go.

- Fresh Content
If you’re going to be social, you need to contribute to the conversation.  Don’t build podiums without having something worthwhile to speak about.  Think about what you have to share, how you can add to what’s already being said and create content accordingly.  Your content may come in the form of a blog, a constantly freshened website, substantive tweets, pertinent comments on others’ sites/postings/discussions or all of the above.

- Followers, Fans, Friends
Without making connections, you’ll just be talking to yourself.  You must incorporate relationship-building into your social media plan.  You could rally your existing contacts through direct messages, initiate followings on Twitter, join groups on LinkedIn or Ning to be part of targeted communities or invite ‘fans’ via a Facebook fan page.  Also, you’ve got to be a ‘friend’ to have a ‘friend’; start reaching out to others, and they will reach back.

- Platforms for Posting
Once you create content and make friends, you need outlets and methods for staying connected, platforms for sharing what you’ve created.  This is where your Twitter account, your presence on LinkedIn, that Facebook fan page (or personal profile, for that matter), a FriendFeed, etc. comes in handy.

- Mechanisms for Participating and Sharing
Not only do you need to share, you need to make it easy for your network to share alike!  Add “share” or “add this” buttons to your blog, your website.  Ask for retweets on Twitter.  Thank anyone you find who does forward your content on.  This is the essence of social media:  one link really does lead to another.

Does this give you something to chew on?  If you need specific ideas on how to get started, ask me!  I’ll gladly dig into specifics to help you go big time!

Thanks!

New Stats on Small Biz & Social Media – Are We Telling or Selling?

What’s the real scoop on the usage and effectiveness of social media for small business?  Between information from a couple of recent research reports and real life scenarios, it seems small biz is using social media primarily for telling—not selling.

A new white paper based on a survey of 151 small businesses using social media (sponsored by Sage and conducted by AMI-Partners) states that 64% of respondents spend most of their time in social media sites answering customer questions.  57% ranked networking activities as their most prevalent, while 44% indicated “reference/education” as their most dominant activity.

Only a few businesses indicated they were using social media sites for direct sales.

These stats hold true for Lars Hundley, gardenpreneur of Clean Air Gardening, an online retailer of eco-friendly lawn and garden supplies.  (Hundley, pictured jumping like nobody’s watching above, was not part of the AMI survey.)  Because his is a web-based company, Hundley has long incorporated digital social media tools into his marketing and promotions and utilizes them daily.

“We’re not generating any measurable sales from Facebook or Twitter,” explains Hundley.

Instead, Hundley and his team have found social media to be most useful for customer engagement and product education.  The company’s Youtube channel is a simple medium for providing tips and how-to videos, and its various topic-specific microsites are hubs for customer Q & A.  The latter has proven to be an “awesome technique” for facilitating interaction.

While social media is second nature for a web-savvy business owner like Hundley, many other small biz people have been slower to dip toes into the water.  The April Discover Financial Services Small Business Index (a national, random survey of 750 small biz owners) revealed that 38% of respondents now report being part of at least one online social site, up from 22% in October 2007.  However, less than half of the 38% have used social sites for business purposes.

Likewise, it’s taken longer for them to feel comfortable using the tools.  The AMI study found that 65%  of respondents had grown more at ease with social media in the last year and that those who’d been engaged longer (over 3 years) were more open to social media use for the future. Obviously, usage over time fosters familiarity and increased skill.

(Of course, social media tools are moot points for businesses that don’t even have websites.  In the April Discover Financial Services index, 62% of respondents stated they don’t have websites for their companies.  Really?!)

On the flip side, there are some fun, inspiring stories floating around the blogosphere about businesses owners who’ve proven to be real social media mavens, integrating techniques into their companies’ inner workings or successfully instituting promotions that bring in the bling.  In particular, there’s the much-buzzed story about the Naked Pizza Twitter promo.  This New Orleans pizza purveyor did some sniper shot microblogs just to see what would happen, resulting in 15% of a day’s receipts coming straight from tweets.  Not too shabby…

Overachievers aside, it’s clear that social media use for small biz is on the rise across the board.  As for the effectiveness of that use?  Only time will tell…or sell.

Thanks!

Five Elements of Social Media – Free White Paper

When it comes to social media, do you ever feel like you’re blowing a kazoo in the middle of a marching band brass section?  Or do you feel like your occasional trumpet calls get quick salutes but no lasting results?

As with any marketing effort, social media takes strategic, sustained creativity to get attention, draw attraction, spark affinity and build an audience that will ultimately take action.  We call it “earning all A’s,” and it’s what it takes to make the grade.

I know firsthand that the “A’s” can be moving targets.  What might work during one season (or, heck, one day!) may become passé the next.  Just when you think you’ve got ‘em in your court, somebody else, with just as inviting a court, may come along.  If it’s not one thing, it will be another, and as the ever-evolving world of social media ebbs, flows and grows, those of us charged with the task of leading communications are in constant target practice.

However, it helps to keep our eyes on the A’s—to stay focused so that we go in order and  stay within the borders to effectively connect.

If you need to begin at, well, the beginning, I’m happy to give you five: “Five Elements of Social Media,” the white paper I helped pen for Social Media Connection.

Download here:  Five Elements

This handy guide helps you conquer feelings of information overload by whittling down the process into bite-size pieces.  And you can refer to it anytime you feel like you’re drifting from all A’s down to the B-team.

So put down the kazoo, and get your A’s in order.  It’s time to take small biz big time!

THANKS!!

Attention Small Biz – Get Ready for New Technology & Social Media Tools

I come as a messenger, and I come in peace.

Please remember this as I now announce to you that there is yet more stuff you’re going to have to learn about, adopt and maybe even embrace in the world of technology and social media.  There’re new search engines, communications platforms, gadgets and an endless array of applications on the horizon, some of which you won’t be able to ignore.

I know, I know…

You already attempted Twitter, and the endeavor involved three simple steps:  open account, get confused, abandon quietly.  Maybe you can ditto that cycle for the blog you were briefly committed to for your business.  You can’t even remember the password for your LinkedIn profile, and you’ve decreed Facebook a mind zap for adolescents.  Heck, you may even secretly harbor the opinion that texting is a misuse of opposable thumbs.

Nonetheless, as the messenger it’s my job to provide fair warning that there is more to come.  It’s a Web 2.0 world we live in (yes, there was a Web 1.0, and 3.0 is on its way; at least the chronology is easy to follow), and technology is evolving at he speed of, well, technology.  You’d be well served to invest some brain power on the current iterations; it’ll make for a good prep course for the next round.

So you know how to brace, here’s a quick list of some up-and-comers.  Trust me, there’s more where these came from, but let’s ease into this…

Google Wave:  real-time communication platform from Google; synthesizes and aggregates a bevy of work functions, social media feeds and core communications functions; created to be a one-stop command center; will have its own lexicon of terms and icons; in previews now–coming later this year

Mobile readiness:  setting your sights on standard sites is no longer enough; you’ve got to join the move to mobile technology; plan now for communications and functions that are mobile-device friendly, including site redesign and payment capabilities

Hulu desktop:  the new Hulu desktop-ready interface is not so much about the joys of TV watching combined with computer usage; this newbie spotlights the reality that TV and Internet are melding even more; we’re watching and getting entertained in new, more definable ways—a fact biz people and communicators cannot ignore

Group mentality:  email becomes less necessary as the Twitter model infiltrates the workplace in customized platforms such as Yammer.com or socialcast.com; this allows for real-time interconnectivity within defined environments; we’re breeding new generations of employees attuned to communicate and percolate via microblogs

Even if you averted your eyes or skimmed over those items, your avoidance won’t lead to the list’s disappearance.  This stuff isn’t going anywhere, and if you don’t keep up, you may not be going anywhere either.

But hey, I’m just the messenger.
Thanks!

Use Social Media to “Top of Mind” Your Business

Last night I dreamed I was being chased (and subsequently bitten) by an Indonesian Komodo dragon while at the home a friend from high school.

I’ve never seen a Komodo dragon ‘in person’ (is it even possible to see a lizard in person?…but I digress…), and I haven’t been in the same room with this particular friend for, oh, 20-ish years.  Yet thanks to an online report I read a couple days ago about Komodo dragon attacks in Indonesia and last night’s Facebook posting by that high school friend, I had the mental makings for an interesting dream—starring some unlikely characters.

That’s the power of online content and social media!

Admittedly, this is an outlandish example.  Does a dream about a venomous lizard and a pal from high school really reflect any usable truths about the messaging power of the Web?  Wacky though it may be, I contend it’s a good example of what can happen when we use online communications to make daily connections.

It’s about “top of mind awareness,” after all.

When we’re looking for information, making selections or seeking interaction, we refer to the first few search results, grab the package at the front of the fridge or call somebody in our Top 5.  (Why else would shelf placement at the grocery store be such an issue?  Brands will do what it takes to be front, center, eye-level and easy to reach.)  Sometimes we actively choose what’s placed at the top of our minds; other times, someone or some brand vies for the position, and we award it accordingly.

Social media is the ultimate battleground for attention; it’s ongoing, personal, interactive and accessible.  It puts companies and customers in close range, in tight proximity to invite relationship-building.  Online, we all have the ability to put our message—and our merchandise—within reach of our target audiences.  Yet it’s the effective marketers who’re creating prime opportunities to earn high ranking places in customers’ mental spaces.

Earning—and holding rank—is no small feat.  It’s one thing to make a trumpet call to get attention; it’s a whole other deal to keep customers’ interest and engage them long enough to bring measurable results.  For traditional advertising tactics, we speak of “frequency;” in online advertising, we refer to “impressions.”  In social media, it’s about long term relationships and ongoing conversations.

Remember the fellow who tweeted photos of the airliner that landed in the Hudson River?  He beat the news media to the punch with his instinctive photo-sharing and was hailed as The Example of citizen journalism of the new era.  For a blip of time after that frenzy, I heard tale of people following this guy on Twitter as if he was going to miraculously be present at the onset of every major national news story.  Yet after the moment of glory in the Hudson, the guy went back to tweeting about needing to lose weight and other mundane things of his daily existence.  And the followers trailed off…back to life as usual.  Yawn.

The lesson for small business owners?  Be present; be purposeful.  D on’t be the “Komodo dragon dream” or the Hudson River photographer; aim for more than a one-time run and be more than a single-event sensation. Let some other business try the crashing symbols or speech-making through a megaphone.  Those tactics are not only hard to sustain, they’ll turn customers away.

Instead, use social media to become a daily, reliable, personable presence with your audiences.  Tweet meaningfully.  Blog consistently.  Respond honestly.  Interact sincerely.  Earn your position at the top of customers’ minds, and strive to provide something so useful and enjoyable—ideas, interactions, amusements, information—they’d surely miss you if you weren’t there.

Top o’ the day to you!
Thanks,

p.s. – The dream had a happy ending!

Haven’t You Heard? Great Marketers Are Great Listeners

“It’s not about selling; it’s about conversation.”  “Marketing is a series of conversations.”  “Join the conversation.”  “It’s the era of conversation marketing.”

I read phrases like this all the time in the online banter about social media.  Do a quick search on Twitter for the words “marketing” and “conversation,” and you’ll get an endless bounty of relevant tweets.  There’s certainly lots of conversing about conversations these days.

Nearly everyone acts as if consumer conversation is an original tact for great marketing, as if social media has lowered the veil between marketers and consumers.  Not so.  Successful marketers have always known how to engage their audiences, and effective salespeople have always relied on relationships.

Social media is a tool (a pretty amazing one, no doubt!) that can be used to achieve undeniable results in the hands of capable people.  In the hands of the unskilled, social media is nothing but a vortex of time and energy.

It’s ironic to read about the art of conversation from some people who never stop to listen.  By definition, a conversation is an exchange of ideas between parties, not the conveyance of ideas from one party to another without reply.

I recently encountered someone who was jazzed by social media because she’d have “more ways to get the message out.”  She was poised to use Twitter as a non-stop classified ad, a LinkedIn group as her captive audience and a blog as a means of lobbing selling messages.  In a humorous twist this was her interpretation of “joining the conversation.”  Her ideas were really conversation stoppers, but she was too busy prattling on to realize that fact.

I just watched a clip on AdAge.com about Del Monte’s recent social media success in the pet food realm.  To develop a new product for dogs, the company invited conversations with pet owners—or “pet parents” might be the more operative term.  They asked questions that evoked honest responses.  And from the consumer interaction, they invented and launched a product that’s making bacon, so to speak.

If you listen, your market will tell you what it needs and wants.  That’s why you simply can’t come to social media as if you’re walking up to a podium.  If all you can hear is yourself talking, you’re in for one boring and fruitless conversation.  The best way to get down to business is to listen up.

Thanks!

Numbers Game – When Does Your Count Count?

Is it just me or does it seem like lots of people use social media tools like virtual popularity contests?

Of course, Ashton and Oprah—the cool kids—have their prolific legions of followers on Twitter.  Yet I get tweets all the time from other Twitter users, direct messaging me about how they got “2,000 followers in 5 days and you can, too.”  I click on their heads out of vague curiosity, and sure enough, some of these tweet-masters have upwards of 20,000 followers.  And apparently, I ended up as one of ‘em (because I set up auto-follow on TweetLater.com, back when I was convinced numbers were everything, too).

The head counting doesn’t stop at Twitter.  There’s the friend count on Facebook, the connections count on LinkedIn, the number of fans on business/fan pages or members in an online group and total hits per day for blogs.  I observe some of my LinkedIn connections getting 10, 15, 20 new connections a day.  Other than my colleague whose business is leading LinkedIn training sessions and a few others with nationally known profiles, I can’t fathom how these people are collecting other people with such rapidity—let alone finding any usefulness in it.

Mind you, I write a blog about social media.  I work with some genuine gurus in this realm, and they’ve earned followings of hundreds or thousands because of their consistent offerings of useful knowledge.  But as I observe the growing ranks of count collectors, I’m reminded why I focused this blog on the needs of small business.  Most of us in the trenches are mere mortals who will only have time for social media if it brings legitimate results.

I consult daily with clients who would typically rather have a handful of committed customers than a sea of disinterested acquaintances.  Sure, there are times you need to cast a net in the sea to find the loyal clientele.  Still, most of us can’t realistically grow business while being tossed about in the current; we need to net our catch and bring it on board.

How do we discern when the count counts?  Here are some thought starters.

Numbers matter when
…you are selling a product or service with mass appeal (consumer or b-to-b).
…you are seeking to build a reputation with a very large audience or with multiple audiences.
…you are building a social media-based business, in which numbers of followers validates your status as an expert.
…you are seeking advertising or sponsorship for your online endeavor.
…you are building online buzz that will affect the validity of an offline venture.
…you are casting the aforementioned wide net in order to catch a fresh round of committed customers.

The acquisition of lots of people online is not innately greedy.  But it can be time consuming, and in some cases it may actually intrude on business goals.

In a past posting entitled “Don’t Use Twitter…Until You Know Why or How to Do So,” I recount (pun intended) my Twitter tale.  I ended up following so many people, I diluted the usefulness of this service for my purposes.  Yesterday, I talked about the art of starting a group with a scope narrow enough to target the right people yet deep enough to invite great conversation and variety; a broad-sweeping group often yields less fruit than a manageably sized one with a targeted topic/purpose.

Everybody raves how Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh uses Twitter (621,029 followers as of this morning) and social media so effectively.  He’s getting loads of press for his effective if not obsessive tweeting, and many equate Zappos popularity to Hsieh’s online bantering.  I don’t know about that.

All I know is, long before anybody was tweeting, I emoted old school style to all my friends about ordering a pair of snazzy heels at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday and having them on my doorstep by noon Wednesday.  If Zappos can satisfy my shoe obsession in less than 24 hours, I couldn’t care less about the CEO’s Twitter tally. I know what really counts.

Thanks!

Feeling Scattered & Smothered by Social Media? One Question is The Answer You Need

Years ago I had a client who exemplified the idea of “eye on the prize.”  I was part of the agency team selected to help this client’s business, a national sports association, increase membership.  This respected organization had excellent programs and benefits; all the good news was there.  We just needed to share that good news with potential members and inspire them to join.

At every meeting and over every decision, this client would ask “will this increase membership?”  We considered logo revisions, and the client asked “will this increase membership?”  We talked about a PR campaign, and the client asked “will this increase membership?”  We planned events, and the client asked…well…you get the point.

That one question was the beacon for everything we did, and it was very effective.  The client would not allow herself to get mired in minutia that didn’t matter.  She refused to donate time or brainpower to anything that was off point, and she never made a decision based solely on her preference.  With that perspective, we certainly kept our budget and tactics well-directed.

What’s the prize—the singular goal—for your small business?  What’s the one question you should ask before making any decision or taking on any project?

You’ve got to know that answer before you dive into any social media tactics lest your precious time and energies be misdirected or wasted.  I see it all the time, the business owners and entrepreneurs who feel they must “get on Twitter” or “make a Facebook fan page” yet can’t articulate how or why to use those tools.  Social media tools can be immensely effective, but only if you use them as answers to your key question.

Is your goal to increase your business?  Then ask yourself “will this grow my business?” constantly.  The truth is, you can likely use an array of social media tools to bolster business, but until you can explain how or why, it’s all for naught.  However if you choose to join Twitter or use Facebook in answer to your core question, you will do so effectively.

It’s amazing how one simple question can help take a small biz big time…
Thanks!

The Oprah Effect – Balancing Online & Face Time for Small Biz

Technology has irrevocably rocked our worlds, and the onset of social media has solidified that fact.  Just ask Oprah!

Last Friday, Oprah—the queen of face-to-face, heart-to-heart conversations—posted her first tweet on the popular microblogging site Twitter.  In a few quick clicks, she spiked Twitter visits by 24%* on April 17th and subsequently introduced Twitter to her legions of viewers worldwide.  Data shows that 37% of Twitter users that day were new to the site.  Clearly, social media is deepening its roots into our daily lives; Oprah’s on board.

As interesting—and potentially powerful—as those Twitter stats may be, it’s safe to presume that, as long as she has a show, Oprah will not cease and desist from having live guests sit knee to knee with her on the couch.  The in-person conversation, “in front of a live studio audience,” is the heart of the matter for Oprah and her devoted audience.  Though she may Skype in some interviewees and tweet about her comings and goings, Oprah has created an empire based on the personal touch, the immediate and three dimensional connection of being in a studio with audiences and guests.  She merely extends and deepens those connections through the use of technology and social media tools.

What’s the lesson for small business owners?  It’s two-fold and three dimensional.
1.  We are all caught in the World Wide Web of social media and online technology.  It is real, present and powerfully impacting how we do business, connect with friends and proceed into the future.

2.  Technology will never negate the value and utter necessity of face time.  “In person” moments may be required less frequently thanks to technology, but they will never be replaceable.  There will always be a big difference between a smiling face to greet you at the end of a day and a “ ” at the end of an email.

Small businesses owners also need to blend the use of social media tools and the time spent building online presence wtih real life, in person opportunities to connect.  Technology can be an incredible enhancement and extension of who you are and how you reach people.  When you’re effectively and meaningfully connecting with friends, colleagues and customers online and in person, you’ve really achieved something worth tweeting about.

Thanks!