I have recently been contracted by a client to source local businesses in regional Victoria for a Victorian Government roadshow which is travelling to various towns during August. I am based in Melbourne and whilst I am aware of these towns and have visited many of them, I certainly don’t know what businesses are there. So being the internet savvy VA I am, I jumped on Google to undertake my searches. Well, I was amazed at how few businesses had a website (or at least a website that was found in search results!). I certainly expected the local accountant to have a website, so I could email them to query who the ‘Local Heroes’ in business were!

With so many businesses still not having a website and yet, to truly embrace Web 1.0, they’re a long way from embracing Web 2.0!  Most had not heard of Twitter and most would not dream of using Facebook for their business. Now what they should be considering, is embracing both of these and skipping the static website, to create a Blog to start to establish an online presence. Yes, it depends if their relevant market is there but I have seen the smallest, home based knitting business ‘Hand Made by Missy’ collect 1,000+ members on their Facebook Page in just 6 months. It’s about “making” it work for you and creating some buzz!

A great blog post I read just last week by Social Media Examiner was ‘Six Ways Blogs are Changing the Web’ and Flying Solo published this article titled ‘Facebook for Business’. Small businesses should be embracing whatever means they can, to assist their business to get exposed. Social media is a great way to get your business exposed and generally they are free...other than your time! If you’d like to learn more about social media for business exposure, Interim Business Solutions can assist you to get social media ready quickly with the packages and guides available. Visit our website for more information www.interimbusiness.com.au