Social Media: It's Reshaping the Internet

Do the words "social media" make you cringe? You know social media is a key element in today's marketplace, but you feel overwhelmed by all the platforms. How can you possibly make sense of them all, you wonder? And who has the time? 

Or maybe your reaction is to brush the social media concept aside. You don't see the need. Business is going well. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is your motto.

However, it's hard to ignore the fact that social media has exploded to the point where it's reshaping the Internet. The Internet has become a place where people engage, not just visit. This has stirred a wave of change that will radically alter the Internet in the future. In addition, Google and other search engines are now paying special attention to Tweets, Facebook shares, and the like in their search results. In other words, if you want to boost your rankings, you need a social media presence.

Still, as a small business owner, your time and energy is limited. The idea of learning about social media, and adding another item to your to-do list, can seem downright daunting. Yet the truth remains that not only is social media extremely advantageous - and affordable - for small businesses, but if small businesses don't begin to utilize social media today, they might find themselves left behind in the not-too-distant tomorrow.

So the question is, as a small business owner, how can you implement social media so that it works for you?

As we delve into the "Simplifying Social Media" series over the next few months, we'll endeavor to answer that question. We'll:

• Dispel common social media myths (for instance, that you have to be on every platform)
• Look at how social media affects SEO (i.e. search engine optimization - your search engine ranking)
• Discuss the many advantages to utilizing social media
• Take a look at the most popular platforms (what they do, how to use them, etc.)
• Help you select the platforms that are right for you and your business
• Show you ways to organize and pre-schedule updates 
• And much more 

So stay tuned as we simplify the world of social media. It will be a "tweet" - I promise!