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For business, the social media revolution was just the beginning

by Guest Blogger on 01-07-2010 10:16 AM - last edited on 01-11-2010 11:00 AM by Moderator

The Web has found its killer-app, and it is social media. No question about it. In the decade of the "aughts," business learned that their customers are using the Internet in a way that puts sharing and socializing front and center, instead of what many thought the whole point would be: assembling and displaying vast piles of pretty but unconnected content. This was a shock. Should it have been?

 

Regardless, many businesses want to make up for any lost time. Businesses are racing to social media, learning as much as they can as fast as they can. Facebook has been embraced by small business in 2009. Twitter fans know that its most-criticized feature -- its 140-character-posting limitation -- matters not one bit. Because the point is to be social.  Which happens best when your contributions to the party are brief and add value. Share smart stuff. And understand there is great value in silence. Listening is the great misunderstood benefit of social media.

 

So the lesson learned about the Web at the end of the decade: It's not the content. It's the community. Is this the revolution that the Web had long promised, for individuals, groups, government, and business? I think it is.

 

Businesses know that they were beaten to this realization by consumers. Figuring out how to catch up, how to join that vast, always-on discussion is business's current challenge.

 

The past year was important historically. For business, 2009 was the year of learning. And the media noticed. Time magazine offered "10 ways Twitter will change business." *

 

Canada's CTVnews.com provides a great wrap-up* for Twitter's impact to date. One example in that piece points to the two ways engaging in social media brings value: the direct way, and the indirect way. The direct way is answering tweets directly. The indirect way is to "foster goodwill." Which means joining the swirl in a more coversational way. Business are learning these distinctions, and learning to find success in this still very new space.

 

David Carr, media critic for the New York Times*, wrote: "At first, Twitter can be overwhelming, but think of it as a river of data rushing past that I dip a cup into every once in a while."

 

So what is the Internet trend for the new decade that business needs to embrace right away, to avoid playing catch-up all over again? The answer is mobile. That will be the next platform for all business to exploit. Small, local businesses most of all. The world in your Web-enabled phone.

 

New applications will arrive, and Twitter and Facebook and your company Web site or blog will change. Maybe there will be more video. Maybe it will all be faster and smarter. Maybe more stuff will be sold through the Web itself than anybody thought possible. Maybe we will all have more robust knowledge of our customers and potential customers because of the Web. Maybe privacy issues will be fixed.

 

We will all find out soon enough.

 

*Hyperlink goes to a non-government website.

Message Edited by CraigColgan on 01-07-2010 11:38 AM
Message Edited by ChristineL on 01-11-2010 11:00 AM

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by ccumminskc on 01-18-2010 01:12 AM
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Social media isn't all THAT. If you are running a crummy business, Facebook and Twitter are not going to matter one bit. Look at Apple, they have very little Twitter presence, Facebook? Meh. Yet, they are on fire.

 

While I think Facebook is a pretty neat little tool. Twitter is o.k. for industry specific chatter but grossly overrated as a business game changer.

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by Guest Blogger on 01-18-2010 12:01 PM - last edited on 01-18-2010 03:38 PM
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People of Earth, here is my official author reply to the 1-18 comment:

 

Apple, being a famously secretive pack, absolutely monitors the social media universe. Without a doubt. Remember: A big value to social media is listening, as much as the capacity to communicate to many quickly and easily. Apple's "presence" is not to be denied. They are out there, no questiom. All day and all night, many Apple-ites are monitoring the social media-sphere to stay aware of what is being said about Apple.

 

Nobody I know is "overrating" Twitter for business. But if you see Twitter as merely a one-way megaphone, and do not recognize the listening value, then it will certainly never be a "game changer" for you.  Twitter is the top social media app for business right now, in my view, but which tool to make use of is secondary to: understanding the listening potential; developing a strategy across (not necessarily many) tools, and sticking with it.

Message Edited by CraigColgan on 01-18-2010 03:38 PM
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by on 01-25-2010 02:51 AM
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Now every business approcahing towards social media sites as it is a good medium of attracting visitors to their websites.
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About The Industry Word
The Industry Word brings together a lineup of notable small business professionals to share their small-business expertise with Community members. The Industry Word is unique in the Business.gov Community as it includes contributions from professionals outside of government. As contributing members of the Community, guest bloggers will cover a range of topics from franchising and marketing, to technology, legal, tax and accounting. All views and opinions expressed on The Industry Word blog are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Business Gateway Program Office, the U.S. Small Business Administration, partner agencies, or the Federal government.
About the Author
  • Steven Roll is a Senior State Tax Law Editor with BNA Tax & Accounting in Arlington, Virginia.
  • Barbara is a respected corporate speaker, contributing editor, author of more than a dozen books from major publishers, sought-after expert media source, newsletter publisher and, more than ever, a trusted advocate for small business owners. Barbara is passionate about helping the small business community and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit. She enjoys serving as a true small business expert, teaching people how to start a business and expand their current enterprises.
  • Bill Gormley is a former senior federal executive. He has held a vast range of government contracting positions from Contract Specialist to Contracting Division Director to Assistant Commissioner of the General Services Administration (GSA). He is recognized by both the federal government and industry for his proven leadership, and is a frequent guest speaker at GSA-sponsored events. With years of hands-on government contracting experience, Bill now provides invaluable advice and insight to clients looking to sell their services and products to the government. You can reach Bill directly at the Washington Management Group (www.washmg.com).
  • Craig is a journalist and consultant based in Washington, D.C. Craig has contributed to a host of publications about technology and media, including the Washington Post and National Journal. His blog is called Municipalist and focuses on use of the Web by government, local and federal, to engage citizens. Craig's home site is craigcolgan.com and his consulting firm is PotomacPlanet, which he operates with his partner and wife Hilary LaMonte.
  • Dawn is an award-winning small business journalist who helps policy makers understand the impact of their work on microbusinesses and helps microbusiness owners to sort through the hype and the spin to find out how events in the larger world will impact their firms.
  • Since 1990, The Libava family has been helping future entrepreneurs with their dreams of business ownership. Joel Libava, Franchise Selection Specialists Inc. 2nd generation President, brings real world franchise industry experience to his clients, coming from a franchise management background in the automobile and restaurant and hospitality industries. Joel shoots from the hip, and you'll find his unique take on the world of franchising refreshing, and sorely needed.
  • Federal Employee - Business Gateway's Financial Manager
  • The NYS Small Business Development Center Research Network has been providing reference services to the advisors of the NYS SBDC and their entrepreneurial clients since 1991. It has five full-time librarians that has . The blog can be found at sbdcrn.blogspot.com The writer of this post, Roger Green, has been at the SBDC since October 1992, after returning to graduate school in midlife. Previously, he worked as a manager of a small business - a comic book store - for eight years. He blogs pretty much daily at rogerowengreen.blogspot.com and elsewhere. He tweets very irregularly as ersie.
  • Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media (www.growbizmedia.com), which helps corporations, government agencies and other organizations identify, understand and connect with SMBs, and provides information, products, services and resources to help SMBs build their businesses. Lesonsky is also an Editor-at-Large for AllBusiness.com, a Contributing Editor for Microsoft Office Live Small Business, and a small-business blogger for The Huffington Post and can be seen regularly on MSNBC's Your Business. Lesonsky has written several books about entrepreneurship and small business. In 2009 she was named to Folio magazine’s annual Folio: 40 list of top influencers in the publishing industry.
  • Anita Campbell is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Small Business Trends, an online publication touching over 250,000 small business owners each month with news, tips, product reviews, book reviews, and trend analyses. Each week she conducts a podcast interview of a small business expert. Anita is a former corporate attorney who loves running online businesses. Her articles appear around the Web on her own publications, as well as a variety of websites where she guest writes. You can also find Anita on Twitter: @smallbiztrends
  • President and founder of Palo Alto Software, founder of bplans.com, co-founder of Borland International, author of books including 'the Plan-as-You-Go Business Plan' and '3 Weeks to Startup' (Entrepreneur Press, 2008) and conceptual author of Business Plan Pro. Baby boomer ex-hippie Stanford MBA, married 39 years, father of five.
  • As a Certified Program Planner and the Program Manager for the Manufacturing and Technology Small Business Development Center (MTSBDC) at Columbus State Community College (CSCC) I create, coordinate and promote programs and events to inspire, educate and engage individuals in our region who wish to start or grow a small business. I draw on my background in training and development, multimedia production, organizational management, marketing and communication daily to brand and market the SBDC. The SBDC, MTSBDC & ITAC (International Trade Assistance Center) provide free one-on-one business management counseling to small business owners and low to no cost training. You can also find Tonya on twitter at @TonyaWilson.
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