The Social Butterfly

It’s no secret social media revolutionized the way businesses market. A record number of companies now reach their audience through interactive posts. They Tweet. They Pin. They are on LinkedIn.

Expected sales via social commerce will reach $30 billion in the next five years.

But women are missing out!

A whopping 93 percent of female small business owners do not engage in any e-commerce, a recent study showed. And nearly 78 percent don’t even have a website.

Facebook and Twitter are the go-to emperors of online media, but there are now an estimated 250,000 social media sites to choose from. So, what else is hot in the social realm for growing businesses?

Need a consultant, but don’t have the funds? Focus, a free site, allows small business owners and up-and-coming professionals to interact and gain invaluable insight from thousands of field experts.

You may be a new media machine, but ever wanted to gauge the effectiveness of your outreach efforts? Klout measures your social influence with a number ‘score,’ showing businesses the status of their online presence.

Designed to connect people through similar interests, Chime.in allows businesses to directly link to their niche audience. Members browse and provide feedback for products, news and posts that are of interest to them.

If building a website lies outside your budget, Ning can help you create a social websites. It allows users to generate buzz through videos, photos and blog posts for an inexpensive monthly fee.

Bonus PINK Link: Read why e-commerce is equally important.

Which social media worked best for your company?

By Amanda McCoy

“The most successful marketer becomes part of the lives of their followers.”
Marsha Collier