Social Media

The big question for small business owners five years ago was, “Should I use Google instead of the Yellow Pages to attract new customers?”  Now, Google is commonly used by SMBs and that question has given way to: “Do I need to be using social media?”

A big debate in the industry right now is this: We all know consumers use the search engines to find local businesses. But, will people (en masse) ever use social media directly to search local businesses?  Will it become commonplace to search for a local lawyer, dentist, roofer, or plumber using sites like Facebook or Twitter directly? We can tell you this, there are signals emanating from Facebook that indicate they intend to get involved with local search in a major way.

The possible advantages of searching in this way is that users may be able to see right away whether or not their friends have ever had experience in the past with the company they are considering.  Those who use online social networks are three times more likely to trust the opinion of others in their network versus traditional advertising messaging when they are met with a purchasing decision.

So what does this mean for you?  Well, advertising your business or setting up fan pages on sites like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter can not only position you for success should the masses adopt social media sites for local search, but it also gives you a tremendous opportunity to interact with your prospective and loyal customers, as well as create a community around your brand.  In essence, social media is a mix between Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising and Customer Service, all wrapped in one.  When leveraged correctly, social media tools can be incredibly powerful and cost effective.

Let OnTapp Media consult with you today about how we can make social media work for your internet marketing strategy.