Social Media
One view of marketing focuses on the message: create the message, deliver the message, and control the message. Whether or not you like what they are saying, people will talk about your business. This holds true in the real world and in Cyberspace. By participating in social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, you can gain better control of your message.
Go to Google and do a search for "Best Buy". As expected you see Best Buy's website, but you see a lot more including "Local business results", stock information, site's featuring reviews, and other related sites. If you go to pages 2, 3 and 4 of the search results you see even more, such as Best Buy's Twitter and Facebook pages. All of this comprises the company's web presence; of which the company's website is only a small part.
When was the last time you Googled your company's name? Even if you do not have a website, you probably have a web presence. Google, Yahoo and Bing (MSN search) all contain business listings similar to those found in directories such as the phone book. Other directories may reference your business and provide details and customer reviews. You may even find forums where customers post questions or information. While some of these areas may be beyond your control, most allow a business owner to take at least partial control of the information. By controlling the most important information on the web, you gain better control of your business's brand and image.
Should every business have a presence on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter? Of course not. Would you really want to become an online friend or fan of your proctologist? Social media does fit nicely with many business models though. A couple of times a week I receive information from Papa John's on their most recent pizza deals via Facebook. Best Buy lets me know about the latest and greatest gadgets. A local restaurant I like even posts their daily specials. Social networking works for these companies because they produce content consumers want to receive.