There is no exit from the information superhighway
The following begins an article from Business Week:
For companies, resistance to social media is futile. Millions of people are creating content for the social Web. Your competitors are already there. Your customers have been there for a long time. If your business isn’t putting itself out there, it ought to be.
The statement is absolutely correct, as far as it goes. But, in fact, businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profits should know that your customers and clients are already talking about you online. In fact, even if you do not have your own official social media strategy, you almost certainly have a social media presence… and it may not be the kind of presence that you want.
Perspective clients are asking questions about your produces in Facebook and twitter. Possible investors are asking their LinkedIn network about your company. They are reading blog posts about your non-profit organization.
You cannot stop this. It is part of culture today.
But, you can take part. Your business – whether large or small, established or start-up, global or mom-and-pop – can establish an online presence in order to interact “face-to-face” in the new local neighborhood of social media. Your customers may never visit your website, but they may join your facebook fan page. They may never read your FAQ, but they may tweet a question to @yourcompanyname.
As the Business Week article goes on to explain, it is a myth that social media is cheap or free. In fact, good social media marketing, like any good marketing, will require an investment. But, this may be an investment that your company cannot afford to hold back.
