Just a quick note that I’ve been doing some of my blog writing as a guest writer for Your Social Media Mogul, a site that explores more heavily on anything that touches social media.  I’ve been talking about different methods, strategies, and techniques of social interaction, and I hope to continue doing that there.  I may have a handful of social media posts here as well, but I may divert more of my social media topics there and keep things in house more SEO and design-based.  But then again, who knows, right?

Anyway, please do check out Your Social Media Mogul and let me know if there’s anything that you want to see covered and we’ll get it done!

I’m reiterating a post that WebProNews wrote a couple of days ago regarding the future of emails and how it’s being impacted by social media.  In this article, the author pointed out that:

People might turn more and more to social networks for casual conversations, link sharing, and things like that, but call me when your banking and all your professional communicating are done through Facebook.

I totally agree that people are more inclined to use social networks for casual and social conversations.  But from a strict business standpoint, I don’t think email will be going away anytime soon, as I believe they still have a place in business and marketing, just as billboards, TV spots, and print media still do today.  As he pointed out, banking through social media (a la Facebook) isn’t practical (maybe not yet) and probably not going to happen with most people, and I for one support and relate to that mentality.

I also think that there is a prevalent mentality that emails (or even using email marketing as an example) are going to continually be static while other marketing avenues are expanding and evolving.  Like other marketing avenues, whether social or not, emails and email marketing will be evolving alongside other mediums, although I think it’s difficult to tell how fast or slow this evolving will transpire.  Currently, email marketing is still a strong asset and factor for inbound marketing, just as social media is as well.  Combining the two together, in addition to other methods of inbound marketing, make a better overall marketing infrastructure than using each medium separately by itself.

Will email be replaced by social media?  I agree with the author: I don’t think so, at least not anytime soon.

If you’re working for a small business, chances are, you’re wearing “multiple” hats as part of your job description.  And with multiple hats, you may be responsible for being the “go-to” person for any of  the areas you cover in your company.  So, with all of the “hats” that you wear, can you do it all and do it well?

Below you’ll find several key issues (or as some would say, “mild concerns”) that are predominant within the small business community.

Human Resources

I believe that this is the biggest need and possibly the hardest obstacle to address. Small businesses can have minimal amount of people to do the job and do it well.  It is even harder for a one-person or two-person entity to wear the notoriously many hats of a small business, let alone the social face of one.

Technology Resources

This, I think, is a very close second to human resource issues, if not tied to it.  Side by side with human resources issues, technological savviness can be difficult to achieve without the necessary tools to become savvy.  And if you employ an intern with limited technical knowledge or savvy ingenuity, then it gets harder to become relevant.

Financial Resources

A close third deals with the moolah.  The almighty dollar.  The budget (you guys remember what that is?).  Hard to get employees who are rich in knowledge, wisdom, and education when budgets are limited for new hires, let alone for hardware, software, and other small business expenses.

Time Management

Critical time management work is essential for balancing your business needs, especially when there is a lack of human resources. Being a small business owner myself, it takes lots of time and effort to conduct just the everyday “business” of business without having to put on your social media hat.  And honestly, how much time do we even take out to do social marketing when there is a gazillion of other things to do?

Social Relationships

Generating, managing, and maintaining social relationships online is almost as hard as conducting the same in real life, except that “real life” is now involving your online social “friends.”  And what of your potential costumers?  Finding them, engaging with them, and ultimately getting them to do business with you is hard enough in the physical world…

Any Thoughts?

What are other ways that makes it difficult for small business owners to compete in the social marketing realm?  Send me your thoughts!

The continued rise of social mediums created more increased exposure for all brand sizes, small to large, to participate in an “equal” platform.  As more and more companies and brands get on the social media “craze,” this playing field is a lot more than just your ordinary marketing avenue.  There are tremendous possibilities to gain by initiating in social media marketing (SMM).  While increased brand exposure and recognition is possibly the first and foremost for most businesses, there are other similar benefits that your company can experience that would help the growth and stability of your company.  These are in no particular order:

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Being in marketing, I know specifically first-hand that when a company goes under, or when it is trying to cut costs, the marketing department is “usually” (and I say this loosely) the first of several departments to go first. I understand some of the reasons why, and I know that some of those reasons that I have gathered from my former employers and managers are that companies need to keep the workers that do between 65-80% of the work for said companies to stay afloat. That I definitely understand and do know that work has to be done to be able to generate as much positive ROI as possible. I also don’t want to assume that ALL marketing employees will be let go during a company crisis. But let’s take this reason to a whole new level, shall we? Continue Reading »

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