Small business is all about building special relationship with your customers, often before they actually become customers. The Internet and the growth of e-commerce have posed a choice for business owners; you can either soldier on and go about your business as a faceless member of a brand or you can open your doors and let people know just who does what, and give them a platform where they can tell you exactly what they want.
Big businesses have a problem in this respect. With a large number of employees, there is no real way to offer themselves up to build relationships. Large companies usually hire social media specialists and PR professionals to maintain their social media presence, but often these professional marketers are detached form the real product or service, and it may take them long time to respond to inquieries in an efficient way. This is where being a small business has an advantage and where social media comes into its own.
Informal Communication
The point of social media in the business world is to communicate with potential clients in an informal way, with none of the hard-sell that can turn people off. Using platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, it’s possible to build up a rapport with people. They know what you’re selling (it says so on your page) but they will be far more inclined to use your company if they’ve established some sort of relationship with you. If Facebook fans ask questions and you post answers, there is already an overture to a dialog. For your fans taking the next step to make call or visit your store it’s easier.
