Why Small Business Social Media Will NOT Go the Way of the Lava Lamp

I often ask myself whether small business social media is a fad or not. Dawud Miracle, one of my favorite bloggers, recently wrote a post, You Do Know That Social Marketing Isn’t A Fad, Right?

This post got me thinking about how fads come and go. And while certain social networking sites have peaked in popularity and now settled to a lower place on the totem pole, you have to admit, social networking is here to stay. The very way we do marketing has changed. And it is, in fact, all about change. Here are my rules for this new place we’re in:

1. New marketers have to accept that change is part of the new landscape. Twitter and Facebook are hot right now. Get the most out of them, but be prepared to shift gears when that new marketing tool comes out.

2. Change is good. I know, you’re too busy to learn yet another social media app. I feel the same way. But think about this. While right now, the percent of businesses who use social networking is somewhat low, that will change quickly. Even the plumber down the street will have a Facebook profile, so you can’t bury your head in the sand.

3. It’s okay to use old school methods. As long as you mix them up with Marketing 2.0 (email, social networking, blogs). Don’t rely on a single tool to get you through. Create a portfolio of marketing tools.

4. Be aware of your time. My first objection to social media was that it was too time-consuming. And it can be. But first of all, don’t let these tools be an excuse to procrastinate from things you really need to be doing. That’s your issue. And second, narrow it down. You don’t have to be on every site out there. See what’s working and what others are using and use no more than 3 tools (I use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn).

Do you have any rules to add to this list about how to make the most of small business social media? Let’s hear them!