SmallBizResource Blog -- SmallBizResource

Lessons Learned From Small Business Summit 2009, Part 1

Posted by Gayle Kesten Wednesday, Feb 4, 2009, 04:17 PM ET

Small business' biggest pain point came through loud and clear as I sat through a great day's worth of lively presentations and panel discussions at Small Business Summit 2009.

That pain point: where to find the time to use the latest tech tools -- mainly social media -- "to find and keep customers for life," which was the focus of yesterday's fourth annual summit (produced by Smallbiztechnology.com and Prime Strategies). The good news is that no one had to be sold on the merits of blogging, using Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn, and having a Web site. Everyone understood the importance of becoming a thought leader, and how technology enables that at little, or no, cost.

Well, other than time.

During the first presentation, Bob Pearson, who's in charge of Dell's digital media activities (his official title is cool: VP of communities and conversations) offered 10 recommendations for how to use social media tools to engage online with potential and existing customers. His tips were all solid, including suggestions about locating "communities of passion" relevant to your industry but not with the intention to sell (which is why Dell set up the Digital Nomads site), and leveraging "crowdsource knowledge" to tap into customer trends and desires (which is why Dell set up the IdeaStorm Web site).

But how many resource-strapped small-business owners have the time or expertise to follow suit in the big way that Dell can? One such entrepreneur in attendance asked Pearson to cut to the chase and boil his 10 tips down to three. Now we're talking! His top advice:

1. Know what people are saying about your brand. You can do so for free using Google Alerts and NetVibes, for example, to track your brand, your competitors, your industry, your name, etc., Pearson said.

2. Find out where the online traffic you want is going. But "don't try to swallow the ocean," he said. Go to Google, type in some keywords that you'd expect would find your business, and see what else shows up. Peruse the first page, perhaps make some calls, and don't try to do it all in one day.

3. Get into the conversation. You can find those conversations by, again, setting up alerts, but also by starting a blog. "Once you do it a little bit and see the value, then you'll want to put in the time," said Pearson, who also pointed attendees to Dell's Social Media for Small Business site on Facebook, which is a great resource for how to use tech tools to grow business and better serve your customers. As Net@Work's Estrada said, "A rising tide raises all boats."

Anita Campbell, CEO and editor of chief of Small Business Trends, echoed that "little bit at a time" point during her introduction to the afternoon sessions. "Get organized and into a routine," she advised, then added: "Then have the discipline to stop." (Otherwise you cross the line from social networking to what one attendee called "social notworking.")

Campbell (interviewed here on sister site bMighty last fall) also addressed attendees' fears about Web sites being hacked online, relating that it has happened to her on several occasions. "It's not the end of the world and is easy to fix," she said. "If you want something, you need the guts to go for it. Don't worry about what can happen."

Unlike time, guts we have in plenty.

SmallBizResource