What Your Business May Be Missing

Doesn’t life have a funny way of  just passing by?

It feels like just yesterday when AOL was first released. For me, that was a simple time of peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches, cartoon marathons, and Nintendo 64 for hours on end. It was a magical time to be a kid in the 90s, growing up surrounded by ever-changing technology. Flash-forward to 2010 and it is easy to see the impact that technology has on the culture of contemporary America.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, and other social media-based sites have all enjoyed a dramatic increase in web traffic over the last 2-3 years. Celebrities communicate with their fans via Twitter updates; people are receiving millions of views on their Youtube videos; even President Obama has one of the largest fan bases on Facebook (with over eleven million people that currently like his page). Naturally, people have pondered, how can these social media tactics be applied to business?

While we don’t know how deep the rabbit hole goes, with regard to technological advances, we can only assume it will lead to endless possibilities. These possibilities will not only have the ability to affect our social lives, but also to shift the way we do business with one another. Here are five reasons you should utilize social media within a growing business:

1. It’s free to set up an account.

People like free things. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all free to join. There is no monthly fee. Just type in the required info and presto. Based on that fact alone, they all garner a gargantuanly large user base.

2.  Social media is professionally accepted.

The days of glowing and glittered Myspace pages, capable of crashing computers, seems to be coming to an end. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In, (while customizable) still have a streamlined look and format that is widely accepted in business circles. This makes it easier to maintain a professional demeanor – an attractive trait to prospecting companies.

3.  You’re offered a large audience with which to communicate.

Facebook currently boasts over five hundred million users. At any given time, about 150-175 million Facebook users are active. On top of that, many people who have embraced social media have accounts with multiple social networking sites. Being able to convey a product, idea or service multiple times a day to a large demographic is something that has been increasingly easier thanks the concept of social networking. Cross-promotion is always an advantage.

4. Open communication with client base is achievable.

Some companies view social media and networking sites as a way to directly communicate with their customers, not just to advertise. Seeking everything from criticism to compliments, these sites provide insight into exactly what people think about what your business is trying to accomplish; this feedback is oftentimes invaluable.

5. It’s not too late…

Social media and social networking are more than just a series of web communities. They have opened the doors of communication and made the world that much smaller. In addition, the positive effects of applying social media can usually be felt immediately. Increased web traffic, increased communication with clients and prospects, as well as positive public relations, are just a few of the fruits one can expect to reap. Still, in the wake of social media’s impact, businesses are still in the infancy stages of application.

As the world keeps on turning and technology keeps on getting faster, sleeker, smaller and more efficient, businesses will always be looking for ways to establish themselves as something more than just a brand. The aim is to be part of someone’s life. The recent explosion of social media and social networking is only the beginning of the opportunities.

What are some ways you use social media in your life? Can you think of other ways social media can be applied to a business?