SmallBusinessNewz

A new poll from Employers Holdings found that half of small businesses believe a social media presence is important, but only 16% actually utilize it. The poll revealed that although there are nearly five million small businesses leveraging social media, that figure only accounts for 16% of the 29.7 million small businesses in the United States based on figures from the Small Business Administration.   

Some findings from the poll:

- 52 percent believe having a social media presence is important for a company

- 59 percent of small businesses with social media presence say it has provided value to their business

- 16 percent of all polled have a business account  (representing 4,752,000 based on SBA data)

- 49 percent say that their social media presence has produced advocates for their business

- 65 percent with a social media presence say they actively use it to promote their businesses

The firm also offers the following tips to consider when using social media channels:

1. Be a good listener
2. Think of social media as a conversation rather than a marketing vehicle
3. Consider your objectives
4. Join the conversation
5. Inform rather than "me-form"
6. Understand your target audiences
7. Practice makes perfect
8. Work smart

I posted an article on WebProNews earlier discussing avoidance of falling into the trap of going with the hype, or Shiny Object Syndrome, as Chris Winfield and others call it. Winfield had some interesting things to say on the subject in an interview he did with us at Search Engine Strategies last week.

We also talked with Li Evans of Serengeti Communications about using forums like social networks. She offered some good advice that falls in line with Employers' first rule: be a good listener. Jumping in without listening may lead to an embarrassing situation for businesses, and could potentially lead to reputation issues.