Point your mobile device at the square and you can be directed to a website, text message or email.

We’ve heard a lot recently about how social media helped to cultivate the revolution in Egypt. It seems Egypt is now poised to move to another phase of its history. Social media might not cause a revolution in your business, but it can be a vehicle for positive change.

We hear so much about Facebook and Twitter, that it’s easy to think that’s all there is to social media. Businesses set up a Facebook page and Twitter account, add the links to their websites and keep their fingers crossed.

But there is so much more. At its core, social media is about people. The people that make up your business. Customers, vendors, employees are each essential to your business success. Social media enables you to connect with each of them in ways that engage and interest on a personal level. Countless blog posts and articles highlight these benefits.

I’d like you to step outside that mainstream for a bit. What other ways can social media benefit your business? You want to be a step ahead of your competitors. Here’s a quick easy tip to help you get started.

Every heard of QR codes? On my personal blog I outlined how this mobile marketing tool is the next big step for businesses. (See QR Codes for fun and for profit* – ideas and benefits for small businesses) The bottom line is that QR codes take everyday offline activity and uses it to drive traffic to your website. This is not an SEO ploy to game the search engines. QR codes provide the opportunity to provide value to your customers through engagement, special offers and added content.

You know the importance of being first to market. If you adopt a QR code strategy as part of your marketing mix, you’ll be ahead of your competitors. The blog article will give you some ideas to get started. If you’d like more suggestions on how to move forward, get in touch! We’ll be happy to share our thoughts.

To address this issue, I posted a brief article on my blog TwitterThoughts about why an organization should hire outside help to develop its social media presence. The bottom line is that big promises and wild claims can rarely if ever be followed through.

So why should you hire outside help?

The most compelling reason to hire outside expertise is that your organization needs to understand how it is being perceived by its audience. This is practically impossible to do internally. You need to understand how the outside world sees you. And the best way to do this is to have someone who can objectively assess and report on your organization’s social media presence. An internal review is a good place to begin, but cannot replace a external evaluation.

Read the blog post to learn more.

So where do you start? Right here! Harris Social Media offers a free one-time consultation for your small business. There’s no obligation and no cost. Once we evaluate your business needs, we will provide a detailed proposal that fits your budget and business goals. Our proposal will include a social media marketing plan that provides you with insights into your customers, vendors and employees, how to establish clear, achievable objectives within a strict budget and realistic timeline.

Additional services relevant to your needs include:

• Best practices for generating leads with blogging, Twitter and Linkedin
• Personal brand assessment and coaching
• Creating a Sidewiki entry for your website (see entries on my Google Profile)
• Training for time management while maintaing a strong social media presence
• Internet safety, security and online crisis counseling

We’ve been in the Triangle region more than 10 years and developing social media strategies for businesses large and small since 2005. Give us a call or send an email. You’ll be glad you did!