Is social media the key to SMB success? Part 1

If you listen to the latest marketing trends everyone says you have to be in social media. Twitter, FourSquare, Facebook, LinkedIn and all the rest.

While the cost of using the tools is almost nothing they aren't free.

First is the time.  Getting signed up, selecting user names, designing your presence all take time.

Second, do it wrong and you look an amateur which makes your customers question if they can trust you with their business which at the very least means you wasted your time.

Next, creating content that mis meaningful to your customers takes time. Don't put thought into your content and you will bore your audience and you will be talking to your self.

Finally, if you are successful you may create a monster.  Answering questions, maintaining communities, creating relationships.

Over the next few posts I will take on some of these issues and how you can avoid the traps of social media.