Social Media For Small Business Publicity By Gail Martin

Strapped for cash? That's no excuse. You can't afford to be invisible in today's economy. If you're a small or start-up business, invisibility equals "out of business".
Social media is the way to reach a global audience for free. Here are some great tools you can use to promote your company without paying a cent.
• Blog-share your ideas, tips, how-to knowledge or comment on industry trends or the hot news that's relevant to your industry.
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* Facebook-Not just for teens anymore. Set up a personal or fan page for you and/or your business and start making connections with people you could never meet anywhere else. Meet relevant people by joining groups or starting your own.
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* Squidoo-Seth Godin knows a thing or two about marketing. His Squidoo site lets you create "lenses" about the subjects you know best-and they all drive traffic to your main site while earning you money!
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* Twitter-Say something valuable 140 characters at a time. Provide tips, teach a mini-course, offer a hot link to your followers and watch your list grow.
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* MySpace-Still another place to make great connections, especially for writers, artists, bands and companies that reach a younger audience. But don't be fooled; there are grown-ups out there, too.
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* Linked-in-a perfect place to stay in touch with your professional network and be introduced to friends of friends-real people you actually know who can help you make connections.
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* Smart Women's Cafe-This new online membership group is a great place to get expert advice for your new business. It's not quite free, but given the value of the information, it's a real steal!
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Start putting the power of social media to work for your business today!