After working with some small businesses in Bloomington, Indiana; I have noticed that they are one step behind. This isn’t their fault by no means. Older mom and pop shops are now starting to need a web presence to keep up with competition and keep up with their customers. Here in the city of Bloomington an overwhelming change in customers happen every year in the month of May due to classes starting at Indiana University. This change is then spread to the small businesses that make up the downtown area and many of the business are starting to notice more change in customer needs. The overall change is due to the progression of development on the web with Social Networks and Social Media. I know for a fact that many of the students and current graduates will not go to a restaurant, use a services, or shop at a place unless the place has a web site or reviews on the web. This is why it is important for small business to use Social Media!

Social Media is not just a way to advertise but it’s a way to connect with your core market! This connection will build the brand to new heights by giving the core audience a feeling of trust and understanding about you and the company.

Let’s take Twitter as an example: Twitter is a way to quickly post a comment, suggestion, or idea to all your followers. This post is then read by the followers and this may initiate a conversation between a customer and the business. This conversation (if public) can be seen by all of their followers and the reach of your brand can be endless. This will build value into the company without spending a dime!

So, my message to all small businesses is that you should start using these networks to maximize your brand and build trust! Marketing with Social Media plus a great website will give you more recognition and hopefully get more customers.