Mobile Increasingly Important for Small Biz

http://OurTextMessage.com One-fifth of small businesses "could not survive" without mobile Mobile and wireless technologies such as smartphones, Wi-Fi hotspots and laptop data cards are becoming more important for small-business owners, according to the "Small Business Technology Poll" from AT&T. More than one-fifth of respondents said they could not be in business at all without wireless technologies, and a further 43% claimed it would be a major challenge. That makes mobile and wireless critical for about two-thirds of small businesses. This reflects the increase in use of mobile and wireless tech among small businesses over the past two years. AT&T found that while one-quarter of respondents reported the same usage as in 2007, 74% of small businesses relied on wireless at least somewhat more. That dependence is set to increase, according to small-business owners' plans for the next two years. Nearly three-quarters of respondents plan to up their use of mobile and wireless technologies, including 37% who say they will use the services "much more." Small businesses' top uses of laptop data cards and Wi-Fi hotspots were for checking e-mail (done by more than eight in 10 respondents) and surfing the Web (57%) on the go. Smartphones were used slightly less for those purposes but were of course vital as mobile phones (91%). "Wireless technology is a critical business tool that allows mobile workers to stay in touch with colleagues and customers, and to access company data on the move," said Timothy Doherty, associate research analyst for SMB Mobility, IDC, in a statement. "Reliance on wireless technology will only increase, as growing adoption of mobile business applications among small businesses drives the need for fast, reliable connectivity." Contact Us Today and start A Mobile Campaign For Less Than 29.00 per Month http://OurTextMessage.com Social Media Consulting, Web Presence, Call Center Technology, Text Messaging, Voice Broadcasts  Book A FREE 1/2 Hr. Phone Consultation

Social Media Tips For Small Business

1. Location is dead. We have now fully entered into the Interaction Economy. 2. It does not pay to engage in 'pissing contests' on business review sites or in forums. 3. When used properly, a small video camera like a Flip and a standard digital camera (or just an iPhone), can be like having your own marketing department. 4. Instead of trying to be everywhere in the social media space, determine what online activities work best for your business and focus your attention there. 5. Search Engine Optimization(SEO) is important but it needs to be combined with a well distributed plan for Search Engine Visibility (SEV). 6. Conceptualizing and then defining your social media goals can help to keep you on track. 7. Social networking sites can be a tremendous time suck. Use a site like Egg Timer to help limit the time you spend interacting online. 8. Get to know the online influencers in your small business niche, as well as, the social media pros. 9. There is gold to be mined with Twitter Search if you are willing to use it to listen, engage, and provide value. 10. Uploading well titled and tagged videos to YouTube and photos to FLICKR can drastically improve your Search Engine Visibility. 11. Consistent small business blogging pays the greatest returns. 12. Technology changes daily. Read often. 13. You should not fear customer review social sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor. Rather, you should embrace them. 14. Helping people online when they least expect it can bring you great rewards. 15. Even on your worst day, you have to remember that every interaction counts. 16. Spamming and jamming your business down the throats of potential customers only drives business away. 17. Not everyone is going to like you, so be prepared to get flamed and read negative reviews. 18. Turn negative reviews into a positive by using them to help better define who your ideal customer is. 19. Your backstory matters and weaving it into your online business persona is important. 20. Social media is a lot like exercise. Doing a little bit consistently everyday will produce better results than one eight hour marathon session per month. 21. The people who criticize you the most for using social media to promote your small business are the one's who are most afraid of embracing change. 22. One of the easiest ways for small business owners to measure social media ROI is to ask every customer how they heard about your business. 23. When starting your social media marketing efforts for your small business you will get frustrated. Try to keep a long term outlook like six months to a year. 24. Don't discount the power of niche forums that are related to your small business. 25. Use Google Alerts to see who's talking specifically about your business and anything related to your business. 26. If you are using social media as a customer service tool, when something goes wrong (and it always does!), being sincere, humble, and apologetic will be greatly appreciated by your future potential customers. 27. Utilizing free email lists like Help A Reporter Out (HARO) can help you find valuable public relations and news opportunities for your business. 28. Social media in the short term does not work. You must be in it for the long term and be persistent, consistent, and committed. 29. Anyone who owns a small business can 'do' social media, but NOT everyone 'does' it. (And that is your true competitive advantage.) 30. If you have a spare hour or two everyday to aimlessly surf the net, or sit and watch T.V., then you have more than enough time to commit to using social media for your small business. Social Media Consulting, Web Presence, Call Center Technology, Text Messaging, Voice Broadcasts  Book A FREE 1/2 Hr. Phone Consultation Social Media Consulting, Web Presence, Call Center Technology, Text Messaging, Voice Broadcasts  Book A FREE 1/2 Hr. Phone Consultation