To help its small and medium business (SMB) customers fully harness the power of social media to reach and serve their customers, Dell today launched on Facebook an innovative community and guide series: “Social Media for Small Business.” Social media among SMBs is skyrocketing. Bob Pearson, Dell vice president of communities and conversations, today will discuss in his breakout session at the Inc. 500/5000 conference in Washington, D.C., that there are more than 885,000 small-business blogs worldwide, and 39 percent of the Inc. 500 are blogging– three times that of the Fortune 500. Yet, the mystery remains for many business owners about how social media works and drives business results.
Currently available in English as a Facebook Page, the community features:
· Guides on how to use blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, “crowdsourcing” and other social media channels to cost-effectively reach and serve the “Connected Era;”
· “Screencast” introductions to social-media tools like Technorati, Netvibes and WordPress;
· A discussion board to spark conversation and idea sharing;
· A best-practice forum that features a different SMB weekly; and
· SMB deals and news from Dell Small and Medium Business.
Early Adopters Get $100 in Facebook Ads Credits
- More than 100 million customers, prospects and employees are active on Facebook worldwide—presenting a significant opportunity for businesses to create brand loyalty and increase revenues.
- To help get customers started, Dell also announced today it is giving away a combined $200,000 Facebook Ads credits to the first 2,000 U.S.-based SMBs that become fans of the “Social Media for Small Business” Facebook Page. Inc. 500/5000 conference attendees will be the first companies eligible for the $100 credits. Remaining advertising credits will be available in the coming weeks and actively promoted on Dell’s small-business blog, SB 360, and via email.
- As explained in the Facebook guide, effective Facebook tools for business include using the News Feed to enable peer recommendations of products and services, building a company Facebook Page to be a part of people’s every day conversations, using the Facebook Platform to develop applications to meet your specific needs, and creating and buying Facebook Ads to target your business promotion to the exact audience you want.
- Company advertising dollars go far on Facebook. With a minimum daily budget of $5 and eligibility for $100 in Facebook Ads credits from Dell, businesses can start running campaigns risk free while learning how to target the right audience and reach new customers.
- Small and medium businesses are adapting to the “Connected Era” faster than large companies:
o According to a new study from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research,39 percent of the Inc. 500 are blogging, compared to just 11.6 percent of Fortune 500 companies.
o 77 percent of Inc. 500 survey respondents said social media is very or somewhat important to business and marketing strategies.
o Use of social networking sites like Facebook among respondents almost doubled since same period last year.
Wiggly Wigglers, the 2008 UK Small Business Excellence Award Winner, is a excellent example of how small businesses can use social media to communicate with their customers and help grow their business. The business’ award-winning gardening podcast and Facebook group, among many other social media activities, continue to set Wiggly Wigglers apart.
