Summer 2010 – Social Media - Trade Press Services

Trade Press Services presentsBusiness Builders
A Quarterly Newsletter
Summer 2010
FEATURE ARTICLE
Social Media:
An Untapped Opportunity
It’s impossible to escape the impact of social media with the ascension of
Facebook and Twitter to prominence on the Internet. While these sites were
developed as a form of social networking, businesses are beginning to recognize
how using these social sites can be powerful marketing and public
relations tools as well as networking resources.
Although it may seem incongruous to apply such concepts as “target audience,”
“branding” and “direct marketing” to the likes of Twitter and Facebook,
that is exactly what has occurred. More and more businesses now recognize
the simplicity and seamlessness of a communication process that is
opening access to a much wider audience of potential customers and partners.
According to a study released by the Center for Excellence in Service at
the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business earlier this year, “social
media adoption by small businesses has doubled from 12 percent to 24
percent in the last year.” The survey of 500 small business owners found that 75
percent have placed a company page on a social network site while 61 percent
find such sites useful for “identifying and attracting new customers.” Those
surveyed said they marketed through social media more than telesales, direct
mail or television advertising.
The most popular social site for business is LinkedIn, which boasts of a user
base of more than 10 million professionals who network and either seek or
provide referrals through various groups on the site. The Maryland survey
corroborates its value; 57 percent of those surveyed have created a network
through LinkedIn or similar site. “It’s one of the strongest tools in businessto-business
marketing,” says Robert Grossman, president of Focus Creative,
a communications consulting company. “It provides a vehicle for building a
community and allows prospects to see whom you’re working with.”
In This Issue
• Feature Article
• TPS Marketing Tips
• Recommended Reading
• Business Resources
• Quarterly Quote -
“I Wish I Had Said That”
TPS Writing Services:
• Feature Articles
• Opinion Columns
• Success Stories
• White Papers
• Marketing Research
• Newsletters
• Books
• Memoirs
• Corporate Profiles
• Grant Proposals
• Blogs
Social networks are inexpensive methods for reaching out and developing networks
and contacts. Information is shared and delivered in a timely manner
creating a connection based on a “need to know it now” basis. Social media
creates brand, value and access to executives.
continued on next page

Business Builders
Summer 2010 / 2
continued from front page
Grossman calls LinkedIn the best
choice of all the social media sites
for business and acknowledges the
impact that LinkedIn recommendations
have.” We agree and add that
while Facebook has value, it tends to
be more for personal use. Of course,
don’t forget Twitter, which has a
huge following largely due to some
of its celebrity “tweeters.” Grossman
suggests the best use of Twitter is as
a connection to LinkedIn where the
discussion can go well beyond the
brevity of a tweet.
Any messages through
these networks
need to be consistent
with the company’s
value proposition
and brand.
Also valuable is a company or executive
blog because it provides
an insight to the operations of the
business through the writings of the
blogger. One word of caution: blogging
can be time consuming, and it
is only effective with frequent updates
and expeditious responses to
postings on the site.
The most important consideration
of all in the use of social media is
branding. Any messages through
these networks need to be consistent
with the company’s value
proposition and brand. Both will
be impacted by everything posted,
meaning all content should appear to
be professionally produced.
These networks are not a fad. They
have rapidly become the most dynamic
marketing and public relations
tools today, a repository where business
can be a resource or find resources,
customers and partners for very
little investment. The reality is that
the biggest mistake is not using them.
Social media is, in fact, a global pipeline
for information offering great
potential for any business, regardless
of size. Whether it’s networking to
grow the business or simply building
awareness, social networks may well
be the most inexpensive and profitable
investment. u

Business Builders
summer 2010 / 3
Business Resources:
Visit these resources for more Social Media information.
1. Mashable is the world’s largest blog focused exclusively on Web
2.0 and Social Media news. With more than 25 million monthly
pageviews, Mashable is the most prolific blog offering social media
resources and guides and publishing news on what’s new on the
web. http://mashable.com
2. Social Networking, part of Business Exchange (created by BusinessWeek)
contains more than 10,000 news and 8,000 blog items
about Social Networking. This site is updated regularly.
http://bx.businessweek.com/social-networking
3. Recently, the Social Media Examiner commissioned the 2010 Social
Media Marketing Industry Report to understand the “who, what,
where, when and why” of social media and how marketers are using
social media. This report can be downloaded from www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2010.
Additionally, visit www.socialmediaexaminer for more information
on using social media to find leads, increase sales and generate
more brand awareness.
TPS Marketing TipS:
When establishing a corporate presence in new media, avoid these
social media miscues:
• Failing to clarify company objectives
• Relying on text rather than concise statements
• Limiting access to either information or executives
• Not responding to inquiries or comments, whether favorable
or critical, promptly.
Recommended Reading:
1. The New Rules of Marketing and
PR: How to Use Social Media,
Blogs, News Releases, Online
Video, and Viral Marketing to
Reach Buyers Directly, 2nd Edition,
David Meerman Scott
2. Socialnomics: How Social Media
Transforms the Way We Live and
Do Business, Erik Qualman
3. Groundswell: Winning in a
World Transformed by Social
Technologies, Charlene Li and
Josh Bernoff
4. Inbound Marketing: Get Found
Using Google, Social Media,
and Blogs (New Rules Social
Media Series), Brian Halligan,
Dharmesh Shah, and David
Meerman
5. The Social Media Bible: Tactics,
Tools, and Strategies for Business
Success, Lon Safko and David K.
Brake
Quarterly Quote:
I Wish I Had Said That
“Regardless of what may be
the hot social media property
of any particular month or
year, social networking has
become a core part of our
daily lives.”
-Amy Kean
Senior Marketing Manager
Internet Advertising Bureau
Tr a d e
Pr e s s
Se r v i c e s
Writing and Publishing Specialists
2854 Sapra Street
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Phone: 805.496.8850
Fax: 805.374.9167
www.tradepressservices.com
Business Builders is a quarterly newsletter published by Trade Press Services. Contents ©2010 Trade Press Services. All rights reserved.