Why is Social Media Important for Small Business?

Allot of small business owners are still trying to figure out how social media can affect their bottom line, they don't get the concept of an online media that will help they grow their brand or busines or more important the "mind share" of the community in which their business is. So I'll try and explain it, we have all heard about word of mouth right? well think of social media as an electronic form of the "Word of mouth" its that simple.It can also be used as a customer service tool. For example I recently had an issue with Bank of America and after speaking to 3 different customer service reps and after spending a good 3 hours of my time I went online just to blow off some steam and expressed my feelings about the incident on my twitter account (www.twitter.com/matthewdefede) I would say in about 10 minutes I got a reply from Bank of America's twitter team, yes they actually have a twitter team! They were the most helpful and responsive to my issue. That is how some companies can use social media as well to handle customer service issues know how the public feels about their brand or service. Its kind of a two way street where you can not only promote yourself but also get feedback from the public. If your old enough to remember the Tylenol scare back in the 80's and all the damage control Tylenol  had to do, could you imagine if they had the tools of social media today to help the public deal with that whole scenario? It may have actually been very useful for public updates and more. So there is allot more you can do with social Media, from Marketing, Promotion, PR, Customer service and so on. So before your cross social media off your marketing to do list really try it and get help if you need it, big or small i think any company can benefit from its use.

Matthew DeFede owner of www.defedemedia.com

So Whats All The Hype About Pinterest?

So what is all the hype? well first of its visual its viral and its fun! is there a practical business application for Pinterest? who knows, have fun learn how to pin images and re-pin images get followers and just have fun with it! I am sure that after several months when the social media shakeout usually happens there will be some people that continue the using the network. Pinterest is kind of addicting especially for the right side dominate thinkers, it is very easy to run through a bunch of images and just pick the ones that you like, now me being a right Brain thinker and also a marketing person I see tons of use for pinterest from a branding standpoint I was just start making interesting images of your logo and start posting them on Pinterest, that is a start, so while we are all trying to figure out what to start doing on pinterest HAVE FUN!!!!

Matthew DeFede is an online media consultant

Yout Tube for marketing

Did you know that You Tube is the second largest search engine in the world? something as simple as a video testimonial a 30 second clip on You Tube could be Small Business Gold, I coach my clients to make sure they have some kind of testimonial from their patients or clients and use it, there is no better way to spread the word about your business or service, its cheap its effective and it can be done fairly easy. Just pick up a Flip Cam or if you have a good video phone like a Droid or iPhone and you can start really driving traffic to your site etc. Here is an example of what was just done for Dr. Mike Scurti of Verona Dental Arts in Verona NJ.

Online Marketing For Small Business

Do you need to market online? It depends, are you in business? do you have a small business with a very tight budget but want to start an online marketing campaign? It does not have to be a very expensive proposition. I consult with many small businesses that not only want but need to start some sort of online marketing campaign, its a must in today's business world, it does not matter if you run a fortune 500 company or a local candy store any business can benefit from having an online presence, from your local Real Estate agent to your neighborhood Doctor. I usually start with my clients web site if they don't have one then I build them one, this could be done on a small budget as well, I have started companies off with an initial investment as low as $500. You can set up a small site with some SEO and then throw a Facebook fan page into the mix, set up a blog ans walla! your on your way. In my opinion using Facebook to build your brand and You Tube to promote videos are a great way to start, you don't need a million dollar web site to start generating interest in your business either, if you have any questions about marketing your business online. I can be reached at 973-864-0065.