Social networking technology has made it very easy for people to share their opinions, rate favorite products, and communicate with others. This activity is happening every day, everywhere, and for practically every product that exists. No matter how big or small your company is, if you have customers, you can bet they’re talking about your brand or product somewhere. So what are you doing to influence that conversation?

Social networking technology has made it very easy for people to share their opinions, rate favorite products, and communicate with others. This activity is happening every day, everywhere, and for practically every product that exists. No matter how big or small your company is, if you have customers, you can bet they’re talking about your brand or product somewhere. So what are you doing to influence that conversation?

As a small business, you probably have limited budget and resources and you need to be sure any investment you make in social media is worthwhile. Does it make sense to pay for a branded online community or can free public social sites deliver the same benefits? Where do you start? What do you need to know?

Before you start any social media campaign, it’s important to identify your goals. There are many reasons for small businesses to adopt a social media marketing strategy, including:

• Increase brand awareness for your company
• Drive improved customer relationships and better corporate reputation
• Gain a better understanding of emerging issues and trends
• Enhance product development and improvement efforts
• Generate increased sales and incremental revenue

Continues @ http://www.smbceo.com