Q: What has impressed you most about the rapid proliferation of social media as a small business tool? 

A: How quickly small business owners have seized on the medium and truly obtained positive results (e.g., sales, exposure) with focused, consistent communications. Small business owners were the first to see the potential and show real ROI from social media.

Q: Use of social media is growing fastest among those over 50. How does their use of social media differ from those of younger people? 

A: Older users of social media have a compulsion to "respond" to every tweet and post.  They are still used to the inbox (paper or email), and the need to empty it. Social media often arouses feelings of guilt for not responding.

Q: OK, so how should small businesses respond to this pattern and keep these users engaged?

A: Support and encourage older users by responding to their tweets and posts. Track the hours that they respond, as they may differ from younger groups that engage all the time, and align your communications accordingly.

Q: What emerging social media trends are you watching?

A: In general, I am looking at not just adoption rates, but actual daily usage rates.  Twitter is still only actively used for example by a small percentage of accounts. The type and use of mobile devices is key, as this trend puts you in the palm and daily life of your clients. The shift from email to social media for communications should also be interesting to monitor.

Q: Speaking of relationships, how can working with a SCORE mentor help ensure that a small business marketing plan stays on track?

A: SCORE mentors can help you immensely first by creating the "event" or incentive to getting a business plan on paper. We all think we have a plan but tangibly putting it all down drives clarity and commitment. You also get great, unbiased feedback where you can expose gaps where you need more research or even opportunities that you did not even think of. 

And, if you can get a SCORE mentor from your industry or target client industry you have the additional benefit of deep experience that can shave years off your learning curve.