Social Media domination starts here… along with the thought and theory that every single click, every single tweet or retweet on Twitter, and every MySpace and Facebook share counts . It’s not for yesterday and it’s not for now, it’s for the future… the future of your small business, the future of your blog and the future of search engine optimization. If you pretend to do it it’s safe to say that your not really doing it, doing everything it takes and building your business for the future is no joke and you better start taking it seriously or your going to be nothing more than a memory.
When it comes to internet search Google is king, Yahoo does it’s thing and then there’s the fast riser Bing. I should probably stop the silly games and pretending I can rhyme and get back to what is important here for every small business and small business owner, that goes from the failing tanning salon and failing spray tan business right down to the failing small business in your own neighborhood. Sure being a tanning salon owner I constantly refer everything to owning a tanning salon business, but the fact remains that it doesn’t matter if your running a Deli or an awesome steakhouse, every click still counts.
Wake-Up Small Business Owners
The time is right now, your sitting here reading this and thinking that you will be able to rely on prehistoric marketing campaigns that worked a decade ago and while your dong that there is someone else, perhaps a competitor in your niche DESTROYING YOU. If your a small business owner and by this point you don’t have a business Facebook Fan Page, Twitter account and know about tools like Hoot Suite or other social networking tools, chances are someone else in your niche does.
Be a Visionary
Anyone can react and have knee jerk reactions to the constantly changing landscape that surrounds owning a business, preacting is another special gift that gives you an edge in small business, but being a visionary is what will set you apart from the rest. Your buying Google AdWords and your website or featured product shows up in special spots throughout Google search results, big deal. Internet search is changing every day, from your decision engine Bing to the giant Google adding results from people in your network to search engine results (pictured below), buying AdWords isn’t enough.
Displayed in a search result for: Clearwater Tanning Salon on Google
Internet search results will not be based on what’s been written or what you have done in the past forever, it won’t be long before search engine results are based more and more on the social interaction and how viral a blog, website or page might get. If your sitting on top of your AdWords mountain eating like a king I would suggest that you don’t get too comfortable, the social media and social networking gurus are out there every second being visionaries and crushing it.
Now I could probably go on and on about what various social media and social networking sites you should be getting involved in, but I think it’s important to take things one step at a time.
Do Something
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t hear a small business owner talk about how slow business is and has been, it typically is followed up with question about what they can do to make things better. I find myself constantly discussing the important of giving your business an online identity and each of those business owners always seem to say the same thing, “Yeah, we need to get involved in that.” Meanwhile 9 1/2 out of 10 times those business owners will never take a step in that direction, it doesn’t even exist to them and it’s sad because it does work.
Take the time, as a matter of fact do it right now. Do something, anything. Sign up for a Twitter account or create a Facebook Fan page for your business right now, it won’t take long and there’s all kinds of information out there to make it easy. Take the first step in moving your business in to the future, because every click counts, every click is a potential client, you need to put yourself in a position where you can get more targeted clicks.
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KyAus @ Those.Tips (2)
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey John,
I could not agree with you anymore on this post. Social networking is on a rise and any company that’s not on at least facebook is a fool
@Shaun Judy, 50% of all business’s online do not have a Facebook page… Think about that number for a second, haha.
It is surprising how many Business’s don’t have Facebook page, but saying that, it’s also a shock to know that some companies don’t even have a website and some only have a single page that says something like “Visit our store”. In this digital age of the internet a social network with a business’s name is a must.
Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..A Mesage To All My Friends on Twitter
Let me say what occurred to me the other day out of no where
I just all of a sudden understood your whole strategy the other day and meant to comment on that FB post you recently wrote.
In the mean time I can see now at least you won’t have to spend money with adwords like all your competition and when they Google Florida Tanning etc I know what I will see 
Thanks
This makes perfect sense because although I’m just learning about bookmarking ;) I would hate to see just what I would do if I was targeting any specific Niche maybe the benefits of what I’m learning now will pay off later when I apply it to SOMETHING
But the unique thing about your system is you gave a lot of people a HIGH FIVE and a hand on your way up and it will be a real process not bought or outsourced etc. I know as someone getting into business your post to US small business owners are excellent Keep up the great work
See you @ THE TOP
John Sullivan´s last blog ..Blogging to another level
I have to agree with you how important tweeting is to your blog. Today was my first experience where one of my posts was retweeting 18 times. The impact on my blog was huge.
I estimated from the 18 people who retweeted had a total of about 85k followers from each one I checked. Just Imagine of those 85k followers who also retweeted?
It is like the first time you learn about factorials in Math class. It just keeps multiplying, and multiplying. It is similar how MLM works. Everyone has someone above them it seems.
So what was this one post of mine that literally went viral. It was a simple post about a new Tiger Woods Online MMORPG.
So who retweeted? I figured it would only attract gamers, but every Golf twitterer out there retweeted it. That is how much power the name Tiger Woods has.
I am surprised my blog didn’t overheat, and explode today. Today is ranked my very best day ever since I started blogging.
So if you are reluctant about Twitter I suggest you get over your fears, and get an account today.
Brian Inman´s last blog ..Orvr in Warhammer is Still Boring
You’ve made a great point about where search engines are going. What’s more, with rumors about Google buying bit.ly. it may just be they’ll start analyzing Twitter links data after all.
Be proactive, not reactive.
That’s all I have to say about that. (Forrest Gump)
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Blog Updates: New Category-Pages Done, Like It?
I fully agree with your idea that social media will begin influencing the search results more and more. At present, the value is the link on the social media site and the direct visitors that come from there. However, I do think that Google will come up with a way to make social media more relevant for their search results.
Richard@How To Videos´s last blog ..How To Make Money With AdSense
It really adds up when you do what you are supposed to do every day. A post a day equals 365 posts in a year’s time. That’s the power of compound interest!
Keith@Norman Rockwell Art´s last blog ..Feb 16, Norman Rockwell: Polley voos Fransay, the 11/22/1917 Life Magazine cover
What a great motivational post. I have recently created a Facebook Fan page, but I’m going to seriously look into Twitter now that I have read this post.
Matt@Atlanta Georgia Real Estate´s last blog ..Details on New Tax Credit Extension
John, quick question kinda off topic. I noticed that the first time I posted here u sent an e-mail saying thanks n what not, great idea… and it worked, I’ve come back a few times now. My question is, how the hell do u do that? lol a plug-in? And does this plugin only email u the fiirst time u post a comment only? Thanks ahead of time buddy… u’ll get a link soon as I setup the links page ;)
The Angry Anarchist´s last blog ..Worlds Biggest Pimple
I agree, in this social networking world, every retweet counts.
John, it’s so hard to tell people this. They don’t understand how this activity compounds on itself.
Once most people get a clue, it’s going to be too late for them.
Dave Doolin @ Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..World Class Copywriting: Are there Bird droppings on your catapult?
@Dave Doolin, also, this is why I don’t mind commenting on cool blogs, even when I’m way down where supposedly nobody will click through. For one, that’s not true, people will click through.
I think I need to link to this one. Or write more along these lines and link back.
Dave Doolin @ Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..Business Avatars & Guest Posting (Under Attack! 2/15/2010)
@Dave Doolin @ Website In A Weekend,
Hey Dave, so glad am I someone else see’s through that. I’ve had a post in draft for sometime now about how “you must be the first to comment” is a myth and why. ;)
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Do You Know The REAL Difference Between Bloggers and Internet Marketers?
@Dave Doolin @ Website In A Weekend, you know Dave…. I bank on that theory every single day.