Harness the power of social networking

GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS: According to a recent survey conducted by online payroll service SurePayroll, a majority of small business (SB) owners believe there is a clear business value in popular social networking Web sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

When SurePayroll asked SB owners if they believe online social networking has a place in the business world, 55 per cent said yes. What's more, the survey indicates that one out of every five of the small business owners polled had actually obtained at least one new customer as a direct result of using social media.

It's excellent that so many small businesses are starting to recognize the benefits of social networking, says SurePayroll online marketing manager David Rohrer. Social networking offers SB owners an inexpensive and effective way for them to connect with their customers and prospects. 

According to Rohrer, the online presence of small businesses is becoming more important to remain competitive with big businesses. “It is no longer just an outlet for personal use -- it's rapidly becoming a must for business success,” he adds.

Big business is tapping into the blogosphere and posting their company profile pages in online communities. SB owners need to do the same. What's so great about the online world is you don't need a million-dollar marketing budget. In fact, the most effective online connections are free personal communications from a business owner to their community.

According to a recent September 2008 study conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for Cone, your customers want businesses to get involved. The study reveals that six out of 10 Americans who use social media interact with companies on social media Web sites. Likewise, 85 per cent of social media users believe companies should interact with their consumers through social media outlets.

With more than 50 million non-college attendees using Facebook today, the prominence of social media is growing. Professional social networking site LinkedIn grew 187 per cent over the past year. Based on a research project developed by Universal McCann, 36 per cent of online users think more positively about companies that have blogs. In the SurePayroll survey, 85 per cent of business owners participating in social media for business are doing so by way of blogging online.

While the majority of SurePayroll respondents indicated social media is useful for business purposes, a third answered that they were unsure of social media's role in the business world.