Interestingly, Apple does not have much of a social media presence. They are too busy making game-changing products to spend time on Twitter or Facebook. It is argued that social media helps you manage your critics and any bad media fallout. However, for a small business, how much bad media fallout could occur - say as big as the Exxon oil spill - that could really impact perception of your business. I think small businesses should spend time building their business, making customers happy and ultimately, building a brand for the business. Social media can come later....
The article makes valid points but small businesses need to find time to diversify how they manage customer relationships and do lead gen. It's definitely not for every business but most can benefit an need to evolve with their customers or risk losing relevance in a hurry.
ReplyDelete[Side note: This article appeared on OPEN Forum, a site I created at American Express - yipeee!]