Digital Media is the Best Opportunity for Small Business to Level the Playing Field

Clearly, most business owners understand the important of utilizing digital media to access customers.  Almost all major companies have fully developed presences on social media buttressed by well-constructed websites and extensive digital marketing campaigns.

However, small business has not surprisingly lagged behind its more sophisticated and wealthier competitors.  Currently, 3 in 10 small businesses do not have an online presence, and nearly 30% of small businesses have no social media presence according to the National Small Business Association’s 2013 Technology Survey.

This is a huge lost opportunity for small businesses as digital outlets are in many ways their best opportunity to level the playing field with larger firms.  The kick that many businesses can expect from building out an online presence is considerable, and social media is especially attractive to small business as a low cost to no cost alternative to access customers.  However, so many small businesses do not utilize the medium, or they use it poorly and fail to connect with their customer base.  As cited in a recent USA Today article, many small business owners feel intimidated by what they feel is a considerable number of social media options.  However, many of these business owners fail to recognize the cost of not playing in the space at all.

Consumers today expect businesses to have a website at a minimum.  Then passing up on the opportunity of what is effectively free advertising on mediums such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram is a costly mistake.  Cleary, this presents an opportunity for a wealth of small business consultants willing to take on an angle of business which still bewilders many small business owners.