The New Facebook of Business

From Social Networking to Social Commerce
It appears we have made it through the worst of the recession, according to some, and are on our way back to stability. But the rough period has left its mark upon society; a new era of business has emerged from the ashes, and we must ready ourselves for the fact that it will not be the same kind of business as before. People are spending less and “getting back to basics” more. Consumers are starting to shop again, but thrift, coupon hunting and conserving resources are the new mottos to live by. And, most importantly, Social Commerce has taken root.

Yes, as if plain-old commerce and e-commerce weren’t challenging enough to navigate right now, we must now consider delving into to the daunting world of social networking if we want to remain relevant in 2010 and beyond. While this brings its challenges, we have found that marketing and PR via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social media can actually be fun, easy, and very rewarding (economically and on a personal level) for business owners.

According to some statistics on SocialMediaVision.com, 96 percent of your Generation Y market has joined a social network, and other sources say that people older than 55 make up the fastest growing Facebook demographic. SocialMediaVision even says that if Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 4th largest between the United States and Indonesia.

Imagine tapping in to a whole country, instantly. And if 78 percent of consumers trust peer recommendations, as sources say, then joining the bandwagon could be the most successful advertising campaign ever. It’s time to "Facebook" the music and get a piece of that social market share. You may just have some fun while you’re at it.

Stay posted for our next post on How to Win Friends and Influence People…on Facebook—some handy tips on social commerce etiquette and strategy.

Permission to Reprint: You may reprint any items from "The New Facebook of Business" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "Paso Robles Marketing," a blog featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity written by AR & Co PR & Marketing. Subscribe at http://www.pasoroblesmarketing.com and receive Blog updates by email.

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends, clients and colleagues.