Not too long ago I recall feeling completely overwhelmed with the resources and tools available to engage with people online. I felt my privacy was in question regarding who was saying what about me and how they were going about doing it. My instinctive reaction back then was to advocate for no participation in social media, never to hear a praise or criticism ever again. No more sharing of photos, music, or videos. If people wanted to speak to me, they could meet me in person or pick up the phone. For many businesses, there is much paralleled value in this story. 

What was once thought of as a barrier or perhaps an interrogation of my space is now a toolkit that enables literally anyone to share thoughts, experiences, videos, photos, or comments about anything under the sun. This can all seem very overwhelming for the newcomer; however, there is great value for small (and large) businesses alike to be active with social media and by extension social business. 

Back then if Betty didn't like Bob's bakery, Betty could go home, call up Molly and tell her about it. She would then tell her sister Jane, and probably her friend John who may happen to pass it along in yoga class to Joe, who is neighbours with Bob and maybe, if by chance Bob would hear about it he'd have the opportunity to address Molly's concerns or make changes to the way he conducts service at his bakery. Now a days with social media channels in live mode around the clock, Bob and Betty both have the opportunity to speak what's on their minds in real time. This could all happen online with a community to witness the transparency regarding the matter at hand. It could also happen over a few minutes of online exchange versus the potential week long gossip highlighting Betty's dissatisfaction of Bob bakery. 

In this day an age social media is empowering everyone and anyone with a voice to speak their mind about any topic of their liking beyond the walls of their home or office. The real time capabilities of social media have allowed employees and customers to endorse, praise, and speak out regarding any experiences they may have. What was once conceived as a distraction from employee productivity is now a compelling way to bridge the communication gap making way for endured social business. Business owners and employees are equipped to address customer concerns in the same time it took for said customer to voice a concern. Simply put, reputation management is heightened with an online social media presence, even if your business is not online.

Your customers are the best leads you can have. There is nothing more powerful then genuine authentic endorsements from people who've experienced your product or service. The more accountability you take to this community, the likelihood that it will grow organically and work for you is far superior to traditional outbound marketing approaches

Still not convinced? What happens when businesses don't integrate into this growing community? Nothing & everything, depending on how you look at it. When I was in denial about the merit of social media, I believed that if I did not participate, friends would stop sharing photos or videos of events we both were a part of it. The opposite happened, they continued to share their stories, only I wasn't around to verify or contribute. Social media is not a fad, and it is certainly not limited to daily negligible updates, it can be an effective way of engaging. Business owners need to realize that if you decide that social media and a managed online presence is not important for your business, you may have to accept that people will be talking about you regardless. The good, bad, and ugly. The glass is half full and there is incredible value in this because...

Social Media means real time. The opportunity to address any problems, share any promotions, support a growing community of advocates is all happening organically through some of the fastest methods of communication. Just as everyone using your product or service is empowered, you can also be an ambassador of your brand.  

There are great tools to track social media progress, businesses that are learning about social media may be wondering how do I validate that there is a ROI for using social media in business. My answer, metrics. Real time metrics enable businesses to see how effective engagements and messages are.  

Don't be fooled that social media is purely a digital sandwich board highlighting today's specials. It is not just a broadcasting sound board. A strong social media presence also embraces the opportunity to listen, businesses can learn alot by listening to what's being said about them online. All of these moments are great indicators slowly graphing out the path of your business. 

It is important to note that people give up on social media too quickly. It is and should be an integrated approach. You can't expect to have little to no online presence for days on end, then sign in and share 10 experiences back to back and log out again, repeating every few days. Social media doesn't work that way. It takes time because people & (real) relationships take time. If it happened over night, you may wonder how genuine those relationships actually are. 

This blog was inspired by Deb Roy's TED Talk about "The Birth of a Word", an absolutely engaging and growing hot topic as more and more users are empowering their abilities to speak, share, and experience new encounters that may have otherwise been bounded by geographic measures. It is our time and we should embrace some of the greatest tools for communicating today, right now.