Posted: 9/2/2010By: Mark Nolan
Small businesses are increasingly using social media techniques as a cost- and time-efficient marketing strategy. It allows companies to connect with old and new customers, while letting individuals broadcast brand and business affiliations.
A new survey by ExactTarget and CoTweet has found that many consumers turn to Facebook not only to chat with friends, but also to participate in "social badging." Thirty-nine percent of Facebook users "Like" something or become a "Fan" as a way to publicly display their brand preferences to others.
An additional 40 percent of Facebook users reported becoming a fan of a business or product in the hope of receiving discounts and promotions.
The study found this to be a good incentive for companies to use social media. "By engaging consumers on Facebook in a way that keeps them entertained, brands have an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize Fans and get introduced to their friends," said Jeff Rohrs, principal of ExactTarget's research and education groups.
Facebook has introduced additional applications for small businesses to broaden their reach. Currently, the social networking site is testing Facebook Places. Like Foursquare, Places lets users share their locations with their network and allows businesses to market to them based on those locations.