As I talk to small business owners about social media as 
a marketing and communication tool, the mantra I hear over and over is proof of ROI for social media.
Small business owners don't want theory. They want results and proof... not always easily measurable. So I was delighted to read Anita Campbell's excellent article Real Life Examples Of Business Owners Using Social Media at Small Biz Trends.
Anita spoke to a small business owners' group. She asked them to share which social media channels they used and how it has worked for them. The real life examples are enlightening and definitely support the ROI on social media at least for some participants.
Free Resources From Anita Campbell at Small Biz Trends
- 100 Best Kept Marketing Secrets (PDF)
- Best Business Blogs EBook (PDF)
- 10 Business Blogging Commandments (DOC)
- Online Marketing ROI Chart
- Do you know of social media ROI success stories?
- If you are a small business owner wanting to try social media, what do you see as the main stumbling blocks?
Yvonne, I believe one of the perceived obstacles to utilizing social media in small business is resources. People believe it will be time intensive with little to no return. Another issue arises with the sometimes narrow definition of social media. Social media is not simply twitter, FaceBook or a blog. Every business of every size can gain value from creating a community around their products and services. The methods and tools may vary but in that regard all share the same end goal.
Posted by: Karen Swim | July 10, 2008 6:59 AM | Permalink to Comment