The notion of getting into social media might seem overwhelming for any small business. Spending time upfront before launch to create a plan with goals that includes how to translate that social media presence into dollars will go a long way toward achieving success.

9% of small and medium-sized businesses use Twitter to market their businesses, according to the latest wave of BIA/Kelsey’s Local Commerce Monitor study. And 32% of those businesses said they plan to include social media in their marketing plans in the next 12 months by using a page on a social site such as Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace.

The study showed that 16% of small and medium-sized businesses that have been around for three years or less use Twitter for promotion versus 2%  of the same size businesses that have been around for at least 11 years.

Here are some tips to help avoid panic when thinking about launching a presence on social media platforms.

• Have a plan – Does it make sense for your business? Is it where your customers are? Familiarize yourself with social media tools, look at who the target audience is to see where they are and then figure out how to engage these people and reach them.

• Take small steps with a goal in mind – Deciding on taking small steps depends on how fast a business owner needs to see results. Building a loyal customer base using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter doesn’t happen overnight. It’s important to remember that social media is about building relationships and that takes time.

• Be willing to put some time into it – Set up a social media presence and then check in regularly, but don’t feel it’s necessary to sit on Facebook and Twitter all day. As a general rule, the more time you invest in using social media, the more you’ll get out of it.

• Track progress and results – Have a system in place to gauge how the social media effort is working. If you want social media activity to drive customers to do something, then you need to know what to measure.

• Be flexible – Striking a good mix with social networks can mean trying more than one strategy because there isn’t a magic formula for success. Be flexible not only about the tools you use but about where your audience is.

See the full article at Mashable

Additional source: BIA/Kelsey