How can social media be used to defeat bigger more powerful competition?

[Just_a_dad]

Small biz here trying to compete in the market against the big guys.

[Catalystcd]

Like any business it's all about networking and being seen. With such social media sites like Facebook and myspace, you have the ability for your business to be found easily without investing money into such things as google ad words etc. The idea is to use Facebook to redirect people to your business website or page. While the Big Boys put out a ton of money to get ranked or drive sales you could do the same with proper marketing even just using Facebook. get connected. hope this helped some

http://marketing.about.com/od/internetma...okmktg.htm
http://gigaom.com/collaboration/32-ways-...-business/

Graphic Designer
http://catalystcd.com/

[teachergobeli]

Hi Social Media Manager here and I have a lot of good advice for you but it depends on what type of business you have. Every business should have a Facebook Business Page. You can then chat with your customers and make comments on their posts- be friends with them. After you have established a friend status you can market to them through your business page if you follow the 70%/30% rule which is 70% social interaction and 30% business interaction. Also you should post pictures of your customers enjoying your food if you are a restaurant, or if you have a service have photos of before and after with testimonials. If you add tabs to your Business site you can virtually put as much info about your company as you want for your friends to access. Make sure you are on FourSquare which is a smart phone app where your customers check in on their phones when they come to your place of business. Their phone registers the visit and pings all their friends who are also on FourSquare and tells them that they just checked in at your place and your customer can even send out a message about what they bought and how they like it. Your customers then are advertising for you for free. In return you create a FourSquare special for them and when they check in the number of times you set up they can unlock that special. Big stores such as Publix Grocery Store and many chain restaurants and clothing stores are using FourSquare to improve their sales. It also helps to post videos on You Tube and other video sites . If for instance you are a Pool Maintenance Company you can post how to videos about pool care that people can use in between your visits these can also be posted on your Facebook Business Page in the post or the tab section. The ways that Social Media can help your business are endless. For more tips check out my website http://www.sociamediamanagerservices.com and my Facebook or Twitter which is Social MediaRant@Twitter.com

[Issa]

Social media is a powerful tool that can either make you or break you; this is a fact! Now, it is easier for small businesses to play it fair with big businesses through the power of the crowd -- and getting the word out about your business. In fact, all you need to do is create a buzz and just watch as people create some kind of tidal wave in spreading the news about your brand. Know that social media is not that easy and free, this is why it is also important for you to measure the cost of doing a social media campaign.

[draganmestrovic]

Inbound Marketing - How to stand out of your competition. Learn more at http://bit.ly/aRrY2F