Small Business Trends

You already know how important it is, so we won’t waste time with that. Simply, social media can transform your small business if it is used correctly. Since we’re all about empowering small business here at Small Business Trends, we thought we’d put together a little workshop with this small business news roundup featuring some social media experts who can really show you how it’s done.

Introduction

Tapping into social media. David Siteman Garland clearly believes social media can be used effectively to market…well, just about anything. Here’s his advice to a friend on how to get the word out on a new product that might not at first glance lend itself to the medium. The Rise To The Top

Strategy for small business: A bird’s eye view. So what exactly are these tools and how do you use them in concert? They include not just Facebook and Twitter, but blogs and mobile networks too. Here is an overview with basic and advanced strategies for managing the new world of online business. Mad Mind Studios

How To

How big brands are using social media marketing. Sure social media has been a boon to small business. We can use it as leverage to market faster and further than might ever have been dreamed possible for traditional small businesses. But just for a mental exercise, this interview looks at some of the ways our biggest competitors are using it too. Social Media Examiner

It’s not just about lead generation. There’s a lot of talk in small business about using social media for marketing and eventually lead generation. But wait. Jason Kienbaum has at least three other really great ways to use social media. Check out the post and video. Business Done Now

Using social media for hiring. And while we’re at it, there may be yet another use for social media beyond the marketing realm. How about recognizing talent and recruiting for your company? Of course, this is a kind of marketing in a way, both for you and prospective employees. But yet another way to short-list possible candidates and learn more than you might on a resume or in a job interview. smedio

Tech

Measuring social media influence. When it comes to your influence on social media, factors include so much more than just the number of followers on your account. In this podcast interview with Jeremiah Staes, Megan Berry of Klout talks about how her company is attempting to measure influence in the social media. Could your marketing strategy be affected? Portage Digital Media

Need more Twitter tools? If the most popular microblogging platform on the planet is an integral part of your small business arsenal, you may well need this collection of tools to enhance the reach and functionality of your account. Hey, it’s only a couple more passwords to remember. Thanks to Valentine Belonwu for the list. BigMoneyWeb.com

Getting Started

Selling social media to clients and employers. Though the example given to begin this article is again one of a big corporation, Toyota, trying to convince small to medium sized businesses of the imperative of marketing through social media involves the same process. If you’re a small business trying to sell this service to larger client companies, this list of nine tips is a great place to start. Social Media Examiner

Self-development

Smarter not harder. Has using social media for your small business helped you do more with less, marketing further, faster and more powerfully than money, time or man power would have ever made possible before? Or is it a great waste of time that keeps you from your core business? If so, you are doing something wrong. OneCoach.com

Social media, a means not an end for small business. Social media is critical for small business success, but as this clever “tongue-in-cheek” video by an on-demand workspace and virtual office services company demonstrates, it should not be a replacement for the key functions required in doing business. We think you’ll get a kick out of this clip. Pacific Business Centers