Small Bizs Taking Steps Toward Online Networking
By choice or necessity, successful small-business owners are earnest networkers, gladly shaking hands, handing out cards and attending local meetings to find and keep customers, solve problems, seek feedback or support and bolster their bottom lines.
Now, the Internet is starting to upend those long-established methods; online networking on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and newer niche sites can be instantaneous and far-reaching.
The sites are efficient and free, which is especially important in an economic downturn, as owners scramble for new customers, said Rob King, vice president for strategic marketing at Sage North America, a unit of Sage P.L.C., a global supplier of business management software and services.
Fast, free and efficient — those attributes appealed to Brighter Planet, a socially responsible start-up based in Vermont, which built social networking into its DNA.
“There’s almost a grass-roots quality to it,” said Patti Prairie, its chief executive. “As a start-up, we can’t afford to be buying ads anywhere. We have to use our outreach.”
What’s more, when asked which networking opportunities they used most, 46 percent of small-business owners identified traditional methods like conferences, trade shows, local in-person groups or chambers of commerce. Of the remaining respondents, 16 percent cited “other” networking opportunities, 8 percent cited online sites, 7 percent said e-mail messages and 22 percent said they were not sure.
Rob King of Sage North America estimates that small businesses have a 12-month window to figure out online social networking. “I hate to say it, but if they don’t, they’ll get left in the dust,” he said. “It’s here to stay.”
Photo by claymor.
Jaclyn on June 11th, 2009 12:39 pm
In todays economy i can definitely see why most small businesses are looking for the cheaper end of the spectrum and the free services that are available to them. Every little bit of money savings helps.
RedHotFranchises on June 11th, 2009 8:42 pm
The internet is full of abundance. There are many ways to get exposure to your Business at no cost, of course a small budget would help but not necessary. You can post links to your site through craigslist, Google Base, Yahoo Classifieds etc… and sending out press releases. While outfits charge as much as $650 per release, there are free press release submission places on the Web. Press releases allow you to (a) attract media attention; (b) get more back links to your website without sending each website an email request; and (c) get more visibility especially if your press release gets in Google News or Yahoo News.
Here is a list of Free Press Release Distribution types. http://nakedpr.com/2007/07/29/big-list-of-free-press-release-distribution-sites/
This is just one of the few ways of online networking, pull out all of the stops for maximum exposure!
Source:http://www.powerhomebiz.com/guide/cases/ii-lexi.htm
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