iMedia Connection Blog

Small businesses, especially restaurants and retail shops, have a level playing field when it comes to marketing and social media. Thanks to social media, it's a great way to keep up with -- and even outrun -- the big boys with their big marketing budgets.
Businesses that rely on foot traffic, impulse buys, and spontaneous sales don't have to spend their children's inheritance on billboards, TV commercials, and sports team sponsorships just to stay afloat. Social media is doing for small business marketing what the typewriter did for newspapers.
Here are three social media trends that will help small businesses keep up with the big brands.

The Mobile Web is Growing
Google declared 2011 "the year of mobile." Why? Because smartphones now reach 28% of the entire US market, and 38% of the cell phone market. These aren't just phones with a camera in it, they're mini-computers you can make a phone call from.
This means mobile computing, mobile websites, and mobile-friendly social networks are crucial. It means a small business needs a mobile-friendly website, and not the clunky old jalopy they had built for them in 2005. Build a mobile-ready website, or create one with WordPress software and the WPTouch mobile plugin.
Your mobile... Read more

As every business jumps into social media, it's natural to have a few hiccups along the way. You're learning. That's understandable. Making mistakes is all part of the game, and everyone has made them, even the experts. But, we've all managed to learn from our mistakes, and get past them. . . so we can make bigger, better mistakes.
The great thing about being new to social media is that you can learn from everyone else's mistakes, and avoid them completely. So you can also make your own, better mistakes.
Here are four common social media mishaps that a lot of businesses and people make as they get started.
Putting all your eggs in one social networking basket
A common question I hear is "which network should I start with?" usually followed by "which network is the best for my company?"
There's no one right answer. Social media is not a linear process that has steps 1, 2, and 3. Think of it more like a wheel. You can jump onto the wheel anywhere, you just have to complete the circle.
You'll want to start a blog, join Twitter, and create an account on Facebook or LinkedIn (see point #2). There are other networks, but blogging,... Read more