Companies often balk at the time and effort required to present their material on social media

The realm of social networking sites can be confusing for a business owner. Is it more effective to Tweet, use Facebook or Myspace, or blog and set up a LinkedIn page? Entrepreneurs know that social media is an important part of their online profile and marketing strategy, but it’s often not possible—nor is it necessary—to do everything. Experts advise that when considering social media, entrepreneurs should consider their business type and the age of their clients. Twitter is especially good at reaching the over-30 crowd, while those younger than 30 prefer closed networks such as Myspace and Facebook, says Giles Crouch, the CEO of Halifax-based MediaBadger.

LinkedIn is useful for business-to-business selling; its network allows professionals to upload presentations and build a corporate page. Companies often balk at the time and effort required to present their material on social media, update it, and respond to clients’ comments. The etiquette around different social media varies. Tweets should be responded to promptly, but a Facebook page only needs to be updated once a week.

Business owners might also dislike the negative feedback they receive. “Getting into social media means giving up a certain amount of control,” says Crouch. “Consumers can say what they want to say.” But businesspeople can benefit from the free market research social media provides. 

Blogging can be valuable if it’s used properly, according to Hamish Redpath of Flat River, P.E.I.’s Redpath Creative. Redpath, who in addition to selling real estate, blogs as a marketing writer on www.livethepeidream.com, says effective bloggers must become adept at identifying the words that will most likely be typed into search engines; they must then creatively work those keywords into their blog post. 

Redpath also believes in using video and links. The Internet allows businesses to upload a video that will be more effective and cost less than TV advertising. Internet advertising is typically better targeted and cheaper than the alternatives. For example, a traditional $2,000 print ad might cost as little as $200 on Facebook. Redpath edits videos of P.E.I. life, puts them on his website, and posts them on his Facebook page. However, despite the rapid evolution of social media, there’s still a place for traditional media. “Print is still very important, especially in a market like Atlantic Canada,” says Crouch. “Reading print is a linear experience; it’s less distracting than reading something online.” 

Studies show that when people read online, they read in snippets, typically absorbing about 20% of an article’s content and getting distracted by links. In the coming year, small businesses should become aware of the growing power of Foursquare.com. The California-based site operates like a rating service, allowing clients to post comments about businesses. Recently, the service has experienced 30% growth in Atlantic Canada. 

“I’ve seen enough evidence from our research on industry sectors in social media channels such as Twitter, blogs, Facebook, and FourSquare that engagement by Atlantic Canadians is resulting in
more people looking at the region to immigrate here or do business,” says Crouch. “Atlantic Canadians talk a lot about quality of life—cuisine, lifestyle, nature. People in larger urban centres see the region in a positive light. I can’t help but think it’s a result of the citizens’ voices promoting the region, and it’s a positive voice.”